


Fighting the Surface

by tommino



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drowning, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Langst, M/M, Minor Keith/Lance (Voltron), Whump, could even be read as keith/lance/shiro if you so desire, hurt!keith, hurt!lance, it certainly looks bleak tho, lance does NOT die, less about romance and more about threatening lance's life, there's a super minor threat of assault but nothing happens other than the threat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-07 10:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11057385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tommino/pseuds/tommino
Summary: “Humans have shown quite the impressive drive for survival,” the Galra commander grins. “I want to see you fight against that. The druids claim drowning is quite the painful way to go." He tips Lance backward over the water, as Keith and Shiro struggle against their bonds. "If you surface, they die.”Lance’s eyes widen and he's pushed backward with a splash.______Keith, Shiro, and Lance are taken captive during a mission planet-side. The commander decides he only needs two paladins for interrogation, and decides to have a little fun while they wait for extraction. Lance is thrown into the deep with the threat that if he swims up for air, one of the other two will be shot. Obviously Lance would rather die than allow that.Later chapters will, of course, deal with Keith and Shiro losing their damn minds thinking Lance just drowned himself for them.





	1. Capture

Keith is forced to his knees on the dirt next to him with a thud. On his left, Lance can see Shiro wrestling against the Galra hands shoving the Black paladin into restraints, mindful of the glowing palm that had proved itself lethal just minutes earlier.

 

Once his arms are bound behind him with straps, Shiro is thrown to the ground as well, and the Galra soldiers start work on binding his legs to match Keith and Lance. The material wraps around their wrists and ankles with just enough flexibility that their struggling doesn't loosen the ties.

 

While Keith works against his bonds and glares daggers at the nearest soldier, Lance shifts his eyes to the horizon to scan for something, anything that might indicate backup is on its way. The castle ship is somewhere in orbit beyond his sight, and with their helmets lying discarded by the lakeshore, the three captives have no way to signal their distress over the comms. Their lions were left back on the ship for stealth’s sake, and the telepathic links don’t seem to stretch far enough for that to be an option.

 

No doubt Hunk and Pidge are still in the Green Lion, making use of the cloaking ability on the other side of the planetary base, but that’s easily miles away from this section of the planet.

 

“So much for being a distraction,” Lance mutters. Keith turns to him then, a small trickle of blood running down the side of his head from impact with the butt of a laser rifle. “A bit shorter on the clock than what we promised, dontcha think?”

 

He knows Hunk and Pidge have done more with less, technical and hacking geniuses that they are. The real question is how the three of them are going to get out of this.

 

“There shouldn't have been this many out here,” Keith growls back, not taking his attention from the soldiers convening a few paces away.

 

“We got unlucky," Shiro says. "A full patrol out in the middle of the forest. They must have been looking for something, maybe the locals were putting up a fight.” Shiro adjusts his weight with a wince. “How are you two holding up? I need to know if you took any injuries during that fight.”

 

“Something tells me they won’t accommodate if I mention these weirdo latex handcuffs are bit too tight,” Lance says with a small smirk. “Keith got hit upside the head though, it probably rattled his brain pretty good.”

 

“My brain is fine.”

  
  
“Well I wouldn't go _that_ far... Still. You probably weren't going to mention it, mullet.” Lance turns to examine Shiro. He seems alright, but the Galra certainly threw in a few extra punches once they had him down. It makes sense they’d have a grudge.

 

“I know you’re nervous but let’s not antagonize each other. We need to focus on an esca-”

Shiro’s low words are interrupted by a harsh cuff upside the head.

 

“Shut it. I’d just love to see you try to escape, so I can shoot you down as you run.” The Galra soldier looms over them, inspecting the ties on their hands and legs. “Well, _hop_ , more like,” he offers with a grin. A few of his comrades chuckle at the image.

 

“So what should we do with them, Commander Kretek?” one of the group asks.

 

“We call it in and wait for extraction,” he answers decisively.  Kretek is clearly the patrol leader, a head taller than the rest and outfitted with armor that indicates his rank. Lance isn’t sure how, but he can feel the dangerous edge to this Galra - perhaps it was the way his eyes crinkled in amusement at the idea of gunning down the captives. The commander sweeps his gaze over the paladins kneeling in the dirt. Lance notices Keith all but bare his teeth back at him.

 

“You know...” Kretek starts, “It really isn’t necessary to bring back all three for interrogation. Surely just one or two will do the trick.” He draws out his words, waiting for a reaction as the thought sinks in. Lance can feel the first edgings of panic creeping up his limbs. Capture and interrogation, he expected, but to just kill on sight? They wouldn’t, the paladins were too valuable. They can’t just… dispose of them, right?

 

“In fact, it would be foolish not to rid ourselves of the threat of a fully assembled Voltron.” The Galra seems to enjoy talking himself into the idea as well. “It’s my understanding that without all five paladins, even if they’re just missing one, there’s no forming the _legendary defender,_ now is there?”

 

He pauses, a wicked smile growing across his face. “The only question is: who will it be, hmm?”

 

Before the other two can react, Shiro lunges forward with a yell.

 

“You’ll never get me to talk! I’ll never tell you anything and you know it. The empire has tried their worst on me before and I won’t spill a word!”

 

Lance snaps his head over toward Shiro in a panic, and can feel Keith react the same way beside him. What is he doing?? Is he TRYING to… oh. Oh no.

 

Kretek throws his head back with a laugh. “A noble try at ‘volunteering’ there Black paladin, for the sake of your comrades.” He shakes his head. “And I don’t doubt your promises, we won’t get any secrets from you. There’s just the matter of a few druids I know who’d kill to get their claws on you again, _Champion._ ”

 

Shiro’s eyes tighten but he doesn’t back down. Kretek turns to tower over Keith, who only seems to get angrier under the scrutiny.

 

“And you, such a fascinating specimen of crossbreeding. Surely we’ll be able to crack open that thick head and have you spill your secrets to the emperor. You just need some… reminders of your true heritage.” He grabs Keith by the neck, raising him slightly off the ground. “With the right amount of _pressure_ , I’ve heard anyone can adjust their loyalties.” Keith locks eyes with the Galra leader, silent around the squeeze on his throat. Lance can tell he’s struggling to maintain his calm as the hand tightens. He can’t take it much longer.

 

“Get off of him!” Lance shouts, butting his shoulder into the Galra’s legs. Keith drops onto his side with a thump, and the Red paladin lets out a hoarse cough as he pumps air back into his lungs.

 

The commander turns his full attention to Lance, who refuses to shrink back like his instincts are screaming. Time for the his patented hostage technique: mock your captor.

 

“You talk big for a scaredy cat who tied us up as soon as he could.” He raises an eyebrow for effect, and maybe to piss him off a little. “Why don’t you give me back my bayard and we’ll tango, hm?”

 

Kretek ignores the jibe. He tilts his head slightly as he examines Lance. “And then there’s this one. You’re a pretty little creature for sure, now aren’t you? It’s funny, but I just can’t think of _any_ important information the Blue paladin would contain.” He slowly walks a circle around Lance, the eyes of all three paladins following him warily.

 

“Not even the strongest fighter among the lot, if this skirmish indicates anything!” His voice lowers into a conspiratory whisper and he leans in. ”You’re just there to fill out the color spectrum, is that right?” Lance swallows around the lump in his throat. Not much for him to deny so far.

 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Shiro grits out. Lance appreciates the effort. Just as the commander steps closer, another soldier approaches.

 

“We’ve made contact with the planetary base, sir. I have our extraction information here.”

 

The commander stares at Lance for a moment longer, then turns to his subordinate. Lance lets out a rattled breath, and stares at the ground. Keith is still on his side, even more intent on rubbing his wrists against the bonds at this new angle. Shiro whispers something, the urgency is clear in his voice but Lance doesn’t catch the words. He’s focused on the realization that he’s disposable in this situation. The fear swirls oddly with relief, knowing that of the three, Lance will be the one at risk here.

 

The soldier salutes and steps away, and Kretek turns back to the paladins. “It seems our extraction has been delayed by activity at the base. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

  
Hunk. Pidge. They have to be okay.

 

“Fortunately that just gives us some time to get acquainted, no need to rush things along.” The commander runs a knuckle up Lance’s neck to raise his chin. “I can certainly think of a few ways to pass the time,” he says with a sneer, eyes roaming over the boy before him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have everything outlined for the next chapters so I'll write as fast as I can to get them up in the next few days!!
> 
> Any ideas or comments or kudos would be SO GREATLY appreciated. I’m worried this sudden motivation to write will fade away so even dropping an emoji in the comments would mean the world to me. ♥


	2. Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has only ever read fics for the last 5 years or whatever, receiving comments and kudos of my own has filled my little heart to bursting. It made me so excited that I wrote and edited and published before even 24 hours was up hahaha

Kretek keeps his hand on Lance’s chin while he steps closer, forcing eye contact as the paladin tries to pull back. Lance never sees the blow coming as a fist slams into his stomach. He lets out all his air with an _oof_ and curls forward. The commander shifts, wrapping an arm around Lance’s shoulders as if to console him.

 

“That,” the Galran scolds, “was for your smart mouth earlier.”

 

Lance blinks and his breath catches when he sees their position. Kretek is too close. Why is he so close? He could slip a knife between Lance’s ribs without the paladin even having a chance to gasp. He feels his muscles locking up in reflexive resistance.

 

Beside him, Keith has stopped wriggling and locked his eyes on the pair with chilling focus. His look could probably burn through the ties on his wrists. Shiro tilts forward with tension, teeth clenched around whatever threat he wants to give voice. He’s going to speak up in a moment, Lance can tell. As much as he wants (needs) his teammates to help, to protect, to step in... he can’t let them draw the commander’s attention. The more time the Galra soldier wastes on Lance, the more likely they are to find a chance to get free. That’s all they need, just… an opportunity.

 

“Y-you hit like my abuela,” Lance grits out. “Not that she wasn’t tough in her prime, but at this point she’s like eighty fo-” Expecting the backhand doesn’t make it any less painful.

 

Shiro lets out a hiss of air. “Lance stop.” The guard behind him gives a sharp kick to the Black paladin’s side, and Kretek doesn’t even look up.

 

“Oh, do go on. I think he looks so much more appealing when battered, don’t you?” The commander brushes a clawed hand down the side of his face, no doubt alongside the flushed beginnings of a bruise. Lance tastes blood on his lip. Now that their captor has invited him to speak up, he’s more than happy to stop talking.

 

“Let’s see what bruises we can make on the rest of you,” Kretek all but purrs. He raises a hand toward Lance’s shoulder and unlatches the top edge of the paladin armor. As he reaches for the other side, Lance jerks against his bonds almost involuntarily, which earns him a quick shake in response.

 

Blue eyes blown wide, the paladin realizes he truly has no way of fighting back. Lance thought he was ready for worst case scenarios, accepted that fact that one way day he may have to face capture and interrogation and even torture with a brave front, but experiencing it is so much worse than his half-imaginations.

 

“Stop it.” he whispers. Kretek’s grin broadens into an anticipatory smile.

 

The air in his lungs isn’t giving him enough oxygen, he’s panting. He stares at the pebbles on the ground in front of him, then makes the mistake of flicking his eyes to the side. _Keith_.

 

Keith is _furious_.

 

When their gazes meet, Lance can’t hold on. He feels a moment, just a moment of panic flit through his eyes, and Keith explodes outward.

 

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM,” the Red paladin roars. He rolls to his back and directs a two footed kick at Kretek’s kneeling form. It connects solidly at his ribs and pulls a shout of pain from the commander. Shiro dives forward to connect with Lance and roll them both out of the Galra’s reach.

 

Keith uses his arms behind him to lever himself up _like a goddamn ninja_ , and throws himself forward to finish the job. With a stifled curse, Kretek fumbles for his gun.

 

Lance will never forget the shriek Keith makes as the laser connects with his shoulder. It sounds like burning pain, and anger, and the paladin hits the ground with a jarring thump.

 

“Keith!” Shiro yells, shuffling forward as if to do something, anything - but freezes when the commander levels the gun at Keith’s head. Kretek gestures for the guards to move in and walks forward toward Lance.

 

“Are you okay? Keith. Keith talk to us here,” Shiro gets out desperately as the Galra manhandle him toward the Red paladin sprawled on the ground. Keith lets out a groan as he’s pulled to his knees. Lance can see blood seeping from a nasty blast just below his right shoulder.

  
  
“My armor took the worst of it,” Keith says with a wince. The armor is blackened and curling around the impact point. His words are not reassuring. Lance has a moment to think of how the restraints pulling back on Keith’s arms must be screaming by now before his view is blocked by the Galran commander.

 

“I’ll live,” Keith promises, and it sounds like a threat.

 

“That’s still to be seen, paladin.” Kretek grabs Lance’s face by the cheeks with a massive hand and pulls him forward. “Looks like I struck a nerve with this one. Now why would the Red paladin risk his life for a useless spare like yourself?” He gives Lance’s head a shake and forcefully turns his face to look at Keith and Shiro.

 

The two are surrounded by Galran soldiers, tied up, huffing and bleeding, and Lance can feel the choking desperation make his vision swim. He’s not crying. He won’t. But he can see the terrified looks on their faces as they stare back in pain. They tried their best, and Lance is grateful for it.

 

Kretek leans closer to Lance’s ear. “It’s fascinating, really.” He’s looking at Keith as well, who still looks ready to tear into the commander.

 

“You humans have shown quite the impressive drive for survival. Even restrained and with a blaster hole torn through his flesh, the two of them are prepared to fight me tooth and nail to keep you all alive.” His hand slides down to Lance’s throat, squeezing slightly around his pulse point. “Your heart rate picks up, but that’s not just the fear. Your body is prepared to struggle to its last breath to keep you going. Absolutely fascinating.”

 

The Galra commander grins, and Lance feels his blood run cold.

 

“I want to see you fight against that.”

 

Suddenly he’s dragging Lance away from the group, and the paladin lets out a yelp as the Galra wrenches him backward across the ground by his arms. He throws a painful glance over his shoulder. Kretek is taking him toward the lake, if you can call it that. The planet features a series of flooded ravines, so it’s no doubt a sharp dropoff that runs deeper and darker than any shore back home.

 

Lance kicks out and writhes in earnest as they travel the short distance toward the water’s edge. Keith and Shiro are shouting, wrestling to be free of the Galran hands trying to subdue them. Lance sees Shiro receive another kick that knocks the wind out of him, but neither paladin stops fighting.

 

Kretek pulls Lance to the edge of the ravine and tips him backward over the water. From the edge of the sandy rocks, there’s about a two foot drop before the surface. The Galra reaches down to rip the restraints off Lance’s ankles. His already teetering position keeps him frozen, locked in place by instinct to keep from passing the balancing point.

 

“Let’s see who wins in the fight against that survival instinct, shall we?” Kretek speaks low, but his voice carries just fine over the sounds of the other paladins’ struggles. “The druids claim drowning is quite the painful way to go.”

 

His body is tipped an inch farther, muscles straining. He’s barely breathing already.

 

“If you surface, they die.”

 

Lance eyes widen and he’s pushed backward with a splash.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> update: Now with absolutely breathtaking art by [Lexiimatsu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexiimatsu/pseuds/Lexiimatsu) \- like it on tumblr[ by clicking here!!!](https://locaexis.tumblr.com/post/162132119650/if-you-surface-they-die-that-one-langst)


	3. Thrash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you guys. two chapters in one day. this is LIVING

Lance has a moment to draw a breath, whether in surprise or fear, before the water closes in over his head.

 

His brain processes the last few images he saw as if they were in slow motion. Kretek’s face, twisted with excitement at the idea of this new game. Keith, bleeding, up on his knees next to a gasping Shiro. Both heedless of the weapons pressed against their heads as they strained against their bindings.

 

The weight of his armor makes him sink, and Lance feels his legs give an instinctive kick. He has spent years in the water, a swimmer through and through. All it would take is a few kicks to get back to the surface. Back to Keith and Shiro.

 

The two of them weren’t even that far away. He was able to see their faces as he fell. They were screaming. Had they been yelling his name? Lance hadn’t heard anything over the Galran commander’s words.

 

_“If you surface, they die.”_

 

His feet freeze mid-stride. Lance looks up to see beams of light rippling off the slight waves from his impact with the water. The maroon red of this planet’s sky looks beautiful in the light, broken only by the shadow of the Galra figure staring down at him.

 

His next kick is weak, as if his body is confused why they aren’t bursting to the surface, to the air, to relief. Kretek is watching. Waiting for Lance to choose.

 

Suddenly, he can’t move. He won’t allow himself to move. He just can’t risk them, Keith and Shiro are too important.

 

_“You’re just there to fill out the color spectrum, aren’t you?”_

 

He might as well be, compared to the leader of Team Voltron and the swordhand of the Legendary Defender. He’s just a leg, just a boy from Cuba.

 

God he wants to go home.

 

Lances closes his eyes and goes still.  He tells himself it’s to conserve energy, slow the weakening of his oxygen supply, but in his mind he knows he’s just delaying a decision. Lance loves his team, knows they’ll miss him, knows they wouldn’t let him do this if they could. But placed on the scales against Shiro and Keith... How can he claim to be worth that trade?

 

The paladin sinks just a bit farther, waiting, waiting for the pain to come. He knows this won’t be easy. It’s not like falling asleep. Lance glances up again to see how far down he’s drifted. Maybe if he goes deep enough it won’t matter whether survival instinct takes over.

 

The surface still glitters nearby, light refracting like someone poured diamonds in after him. He’s only about ten feet under, really. Kretek’s shadow is still watching, with a few other Galra figures having joined him at the ravine’s edge.

 

Lance sees two wavering forms of white, picked out with highlights of black and red. He feels sick.

 

The soldiers are making them watch.

 

While it must be agony for his two teammates, it secures Lance’s choice. It should have been an easy decision, really. They can find another paladin, but there’s only one Keith. Only one Shiro. Even if Voltron wasn’t a concern, Lance can’t imagine a world without them. The pain of drowning is nothing compared to the agony of surfacing to find their crumpled bodies, two people he loves extinguished forever.

 

 _“They’ll get along without you,”_ Kretek whispers in his ear.

 

He drops his gaze and stares into the silence around him. It’s a remarkably clear body of water, considering its size. The ravine drops down impossibly deep below him, a mass of shadowed black. How long can he hold his breath? He can feel a slight burning at the edge of his ribs, not painful, not yet, but enough to remind him. He’s back on Varadero beach, competing with his siblings to see who can collect the most shells in one go. His heart pounds in his ears.

 

His family - families, counting Voltron - will miss him. Lance has missed them so much already. _I hope they can forgive me. Keith, I..._

 

It’s like the air has turned against him now, pushing out against his lips and chest trying to burst free. The breath trapped inside him is stale. He can feel his fingertips going numb. His arms twitch against the bindings and it’s a good distraction from all that fresh oxygen waiting above him. Lance twists his ankles together to keep his feet from kicking out, from stop himself from pushing upward to breathe, to reach the air, to get just one gasp!

 

His breath explodes out of him before he can stop it, and one or two large wobbling bubbles escape before he can seal his lips together again. The air in his lungs feels like poison but there’s more oxygen with it than without. The second of relief from venting the pressure inside is soon taken over by a screaming burn that wants him to inhale.

 

He panics, thrashes, even kicks out with both feet, but he’s too weak now and there’s black around the edges of his vision. The filtered sunlight from above shifts to sepia. This is the moment.

 

Lance withdraws and thinks of Shiro and Keith. Maybe he got the easy way out - at least his suffering will be over soon. The two of them will be taken back to the core fleet for interrogation. Torture. They’re strong though, stronger than him. Lance knows they’ll be okay. They’ll support each other, they’ll escape, the team is coming for them. Just... not soon enough for Lance.

 

A feeling of calm sweeps over him. Is this what it’s like to die?

 

 _No,_ reverberates through his head with a purr. _Not today, my brave paladin._

 

 

**Blue.**

 

 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: i apparently cannot hold my breath for very long at all. Spent a good portion of my day taking deep breaths and then cataloging my descent into near self-suffocation lol
> 
> The underwater scene is now two chapters because YOU ALL KEEP COMMENTING ASKING FOR ANGST?? i love it im gonna weep  
> i'll have to add in a credits list at the end to thank all the people who commented with suggestions and inspiration because you are building this beautiful story of suffering right along with me hahaha
> 
> Your hint for the next chapter: Lance connects with Blue and also fakes his own death.


	4. Drown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so uh... buckle up, babes.

Blue floods his system with calm, warmth, care, protection - drowning out the adrenaline shock and the fire in his lungs. Lance’s muddled brain can’t do anything but send out waves of gratitude. His lion is with him. He won’t be alone as he fades out.

 

The morbid thought is brushed aside with disdain.

 

 _What kind of fools would try to kill my paladin with his own element?_ Blue might sound insulted, if not for the quiet undertone of fear. She nearly didn’t make it in time.

 

A pause. _This will not be pleasant. But I have you here, you’ll be safe little one, just hold on a moment longer. Be strong._

 

Lance can’t help but let out a desperate chuckle at the request, as if he has any strength left in him. The small bubbles are cut off suddenly as his whole body tenses in response to a searing pain across his neck.

 

It burns. Not like fire, but as if a freezing cold knife has been pressed to the skin on the sides of his throat. His body snaps out, every muscle taut like a bow, desperate to throw off the invisible brand being pushed into him. Lance would scream, if he had the air for it.

 

And then the agony is fading as fast as it came. He feels clear water ripple across the side of his neck. He exhales, blinking away the pain. Trusting Blue’s gentle reassurance, he takes a soft breath in again.

 

Water fills his mouth, but instead of pouring into his lungs to suffocate him, it goes no farther than his throat. He can feel it filtering out to the sides and delivering a rush of fresh oxygen to his starved lungs, and Lance nearly cries out at the sensation of his chest expanding again.

 

He takes a few more breaths, marvelling at the relief of oxygen rushing through his system once again. He’s breathing! A giggle passes his lips, hysteria muffled by the water, and he can feel Blue share in his exuberance.

 

His lifespan had narrowed down to a handful of remaining moments, and now it rubber bands out in front of him again, full of sensation and emotions and aspirations. The lion and her paladin revel in the joy of it, if only for a few seconds.

 

It’s only after the rush fades that Lance is able to ask the “how” of it all. He takes a slow inhale, focusing on the sensations around his neck. It feels… aquatic. Natural.

 

 _‘What do you do to me, girl?’_ Not that he’s not grateful, but does he need to be concerned right now?

 

Blue sends a wave of reassurance. _Pilots of all backgrounds have spent time in my cockpit, and the Alteans have been transmuting themselves to adapt for generations,_ she murmurs to him. _Human genetics are not so malleable, but I will_ **_always_ ** _find a way to protect you, little one._

 

Shapeshifting, then. That’s… a novel idea.

 

_I’m only sorry it caused you so much pain._

 

Lance could never find the words to express himself, so he sends a gentle consolation of love and admiration and gratefulness and every emotion he can think of to thank his guardian.

 

_‘You are amazing, Blue.’_

 

The quiet moment is shattered when the sharp movement of shadows above him catches his eye. Soldiers are gesturing, leaning closer to the water as if to see what has become of the drifting paladin. Lance can understand their confusion. He had struggled for a moment, then gone horribly rigid as the gills burned their way into his neck. They have no way of knowing about the recent addition to his physiology, but he can’t just sit here peacefully filtering lakewater.

 

What if they get impatient and start shooting down at him? Or worse, what if they grow suspicious and try to fish out his body to confirm his demise? Kretek threatened that just coming up to the surface meant death to the other paladins, but Lance knows the reality of his game.

 

_“You die, or they do.”_

 

Lance has to uphold his half of the bargain in order to keep Shiro and Keith safe.

 

He needs to drown.

 

The paladin looks up again, but the water is too choppy to make out specific shapes or colors. Lance closes his eyes for a moment and prays that Shiro and Keith aren’t watching anymore. If they are…

 

 _I’m so sorry. I have to do this._ Lance takes a quiet breath.

 

And then he thrashes.

 

He kicks and screams and he pulls against the bindings on his arms. All the panic and terror and helplessness up to this point comes out in a violent spasm, a convincing mimic of his close call earlier. The writhing forces him upward slightly, hopefully ensuring the Galra can see his final moments.

 

Lance has never witnessed this kind of death, but his older sister once told them a ghost story about a girl rumored to have drowned near the pier back home. It scared him for weeks, imagining her bubbling screams as she struggled to drag herself out of the ocean.

 

He slows his frenzied movements and comes to a drifting stop. _“Her eyes were frozen open you know, glaring up at the living.”_ He remembers his sister’s voice, the soft gasps from his little brothers. Lance keeps his eyes wide, not daring to blink as he looks up at the wavering shapes at the surface. He jerks, once, twice... and goes still.

 

An eternity passes.

 

Lance takes soft, shallow breaths and his respirations barely release any bubbles. At last, the shadows move away from the edge, and Lance is alone in the silence. He lets out a breath, but doesn’t dare to do more than let his body drift. Kretek could look back over the edge at any time.

 

He lets his eyelids slide closed and takes a moment to breathe. Keith and Shiro will be okay. They’re valuable now, with no paladins to spare.

 

A deprecating smirk crosses his lips. Of course, Lance proves to be at his most useful when he’s dead. He’ll keep up the charade for now, keep them safe, but he needs to surface soon and actually make a difference while he has the advantage.

 

He considers his options, still drifting. Perhaps if he were to swim along the ravine a bit and pull himself out, he could take the soldiers by surprise. Lance looks down at himself. He’ll never get over the two foot ledge at the surface if his arms are still fastened behind him though.

 

Risking another glance upward, Lance sees nothing but red sky. It’s time to move.

 

The weightlessness afforded by the water actually works in his favor, and he pulls his legs up to his chest while bringing his hands down around his hips. He then manages to pull his legs through the loop of his arms. It involves a bit of underwater acrobatics, but the restraints aren’t the only ones flexible here.

 

His arms now in front of him, Lance eyes the material clasping his gauntlets together. The commander had just peeled the strip off his ankles, so maybe if he tugs this end piece with his teeth… Yes! The binding unravels with a swirl, and Lance is glad no one had to see him mouthing at his restraints. He unwinds the long piece and it flutters away as he lets his arms stretch out on each side, balancing him.

 

For a moment, he marvels in the feeling of it all. Suspended between the rosy glow filtering from above and the dark shadows of the deep water below him, Lance inhales softly and savors the gentle drift of the water around him. This is his element, now more than ever. Where there should be remnants of fear, he finds himself feeling powerful. He is the Blue paladin, and the Galra put him in a _lake_.

 

One hand slides up his neck to probe at the recent additions to his flesh. Half concealed by the turtleneck of his bodysuit, three horizontal flaps slice across his skin on each side. He shivers. Useful as they are right now, it’s unsettling to feel such an unnatural structure carved into his body. He hopes the changes aren’t permanent, but there will be time for questions later.

 

Lance is shaken out of his self examination when a shockwave ripples through the water. The source is a rumbling crash coming from the landscape above him, as an impact shakes the ground next to the ravine. Did something land?

 

Keith. Shiro. The extraction ship is here.

 

All thoughts of swimming to another location melt from his head, and Lance kicks his legs in forceful strokes that push him straight up toward the surface. He can’t let the Galra take them!

 

He has enough forethought to stall his rocketing ascent just before breaking the surface, and Lance slips his head above the waves without a sound. Immediately, the watery silence gives way to shrieks and blaster fire. Lance can’t see over the edge, but he hears Shiro’s familiar voice scattered in among the shouts. Blinking the water out of his eyes, Lance finally sees a recognizable shape near the ravine’s edge. Kretek.

 

The commander is backed up to the ledge, firing bolts of lasers into the fray. His back is to the water, and Lance can feel a grimace forming on his face while his mind whirls between fear and hatred. This is the Galra that shot Keith. That tormented Shiro. And this is fool who thought he could drown the paladin of water.

 

“Give my regards to your dearly departed comrade,” Kretek shouts, and brings the rifle up to his shoulder.

 

Lance rushes forward as Kretek takes aim across the battlefield. With a powerful thrust, he rises up just far enough to grab at the commander’s shins and lock on. Lance gives a tug backward and the Galra stumbles, shot going wild.

 

The commander looks down and the shock that widens his glowing eyes would have made Lance smile if he weren’t livid right now.

 

“Tell me yourself,” Lance snarls, bracing his feet to yank backward into the ravine again.

 

Kretek’s face shifts to fury, and he kicks out at Lance. The impact loosens his grip and Lance is smacked violently into the ledge, one hand still clinging to the Galran’s ankle. Before the commander can level another kick at his head, the center of his armor explodes from a blaster shot.

 

The paneling cracks and blisters outward, the laser having impacted dead center on the target of his chest. Kretek freezes for a moment, looking down at the hole in his torso as if confused. Then he’s toppling sideways, smashing into Lance as his body tumbles into the ravine.

 

One of the commander’s armor-clad limbs connects solidly with the side of Lance’s head, and he feels the world spin in response. Dazed, he falls back under the surface and tries to blink away the black at the sides of his vision.

 

The last thing Lance sees before the darkness overtakes him is Commander Kretek’s body spiralling down into the depths.

 

And then, nothing.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your kind words and encouragement and suggestions. I love that this story is like... a collab. Huge shoutout to [ThePaladin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePaladin), who helped me craft this chapter at like 3am yesterday lol ♥
> 
> Next chapter: we shift to Keith's POV and backtrack a little in the timeline
> 
> Question for the readers: **_How far back should I go when I start Keith's point of view?_** Start when Lance gets pushed into the water? Start when Keith gets shot? When Kretek first selects Lance as his target?? Let me know, I continue writing this evening!


	5. Surface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author's Note:** The story now jumps back to the events of chapter one, showing Keith’s side of their capture and revealing what happens on the surface while Lance is underwater.

“You know...” Kretek starts, “It really isn’t necessary to bring back all three for interrogation. Surely just one or two will do the trick.”

 

He pauses, a wicked smile growing across his face. “The only question is: who will it be, hmm?”

 

Keith’s snarl doesn’t waver. Just let this Galra try to take him out.

 

“And you, such a fascinating specimen of crossbreeding. Surely we’ll be able to crack open that thick head and have you spill your secrets to the emperor. You just need some… reminders of your true heritage.”

 

The commander clasps a hand around Keith’s throat, cutting his air supply and lifting him off his knees. He locks onto the Galra’s glowing eyes, refusing to show any form of weakness or doubt. The Red paladin won’t be intimidated by vague threats and a few cheap shots at his genetics.

 

Kretek tightens his grip and seems willing to wait him out, a flash of concern biting through Keith at the commander’s patience. His throat constricts in quiet desperation, aching for a taste of air, and his fingers twitch behind him, the only visible sign of his discomfort.

 

Lance shouts, and a sudden lurch sends Keith sprawling back to the ground. A hoarse cough is ripped from his lips as his chest heaves. Blinking away a few black spots, Keith hears Lance’s voice slide into a familiar antagonistic tone.

 

“You talk big for a scaredy cat who tied us up as soon as he could. Why don’t you give me back my bayard and we’ll tango, hm?”

 

Keith stares at Lance in disbelief. Tango?? Lance is a long-ranged specialist who currently has all of his limbs tied together. Even _Keith_ can recognize that’s a bad fight to pick, and Keith is terrible at choosing his battles. Is he _trying_ to get a rise out of th...

  
Keith blinks. Lance is trying to get a rise out of the commander.

 

Fortunately the Galra doesn’t respond to the challenge, and Keith sags with relief. Kretek walks a slow circle around Lance as he talks, voicing cutting remarks that make Lance’s shoulders hunch. “You’re just there to fill in the color spectrum, is that right?”

 

If he keeps talking like that, Keith is going to need his fists free. For punching. He goes back to working at his restraints, not taking his eyes off the commander. He waits for Lance’s flippant rebuttal, but… nothing comes.

 

Shiro speaks into the silence. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Kretek moves a step closer, and Keith’s blood runs cold as he recognizes the predatory look on the Galran’s face. All the danger and threats and violence hanging in the air have sharpened into a deadly axe, quivering above the Blue paladin’s neck.

 

No. Not Lance.

 

It’s supposed to be Keith, he’s the one meant to fight his way out of this, he can take it. They can’t have Lance.

 

“We’ve made contact with the planetary base, sir. I have our extraction information here.” A soldier’s voice breaks through the tension, and the commander eventually turns away to direct the method of their abduction.

 

Keith drops his head and twists his arms at a near painful angle, putting all his power into trying to loosen the elastic bonds. He needs his hands, he needs to be able to fight back. To protect.

 

Shiro’s voice cuts in with an urgent whisper. “We have to get free before their reinforcements arrive. Forget stalling for time, we need to move, _now_.” There’s an edge of desperation to his voice that scares Keith more than anything yet. Lance hasn’t moved.

 

The world narrows down to twisting and pulling and turning his wrists, searching for a break in the pressure that keeps his arms pinned back. There must be a way, there’s a weakness somewhere.

 

The commander returns and brushes a knuckle up the Blue paladin’s throat.

 

“I can certainly think of a few ways to pass the time,” he says with a sneer, eyes roaming over the boy before him. A rush of possessiveness floods Keith’s chest.

 

Keith can see the commander’s hand slowly curl into a fist just before he rams it into Lance’s stomach. When his body lurches forward, Kretek moves to cradle an arm around the Blue paladin.

 

Lance has always been a tactile person, hanging off Hunk’s shoulder or nudging into Keith or flopping his legs across Pidge on the couch. But Keith knows what tension looks like rippling across Lance’s shoulders. Kretek is too close. He’s dangerous and looking at Lance like he might take a bite at any moment, just to hear the scream.

 

Bound wrists forgotten, Keith sets his eyes on the commander as if he could freeze the Galra in place by concentration alone.

 

“Y-you hit like my abuela,” Lance grits out. He’s trying to sound casual, but his voice doesn’t rise to support the facade. Kretek’s hand snaps up against the Blue paladin’s face with a _crack_ and Keith winces.

 

Shiro strains forward, grinding his teeth as he twists against his own restraints. “Lance stop.” The kick to his ribs doesn’t lessen the Black paladin’s focus.

 

“Oh, do go on. I think he looks so much more appealing when battered, don’t you?” The Galra drags a clawed finger down Lance’s cheek as if he’s wiping a tear away. He traces the outline of the murky red impact stamped on the paladin’s face, and Keith’s eyes are drawn to Lance’s split lip.

 

“Let’s see what bruises we can make on the rest of you,” Kretek all but purrs. He raises a hand toward Lance’s shoulder and unlatches the top edge of the paladin armor. Keith feels his muscles jerk with the need to slap the hands away.

 

_Don’t touch him._

 

The commander’s wandering palms work their way toward the other side of the armor, and Lance flinches away from the touch. Keith’s blood is beginning to boil, watching this stranger toy with the Blue paladin as he’s locked in his bindings.

 

Removing his chestplate would do more than leave Lance physically vulnerable, and Kretek is playing that fear against him. Trying to convince him that he is no longer an untouchable paladin of Voltron, just a boy who can bruise and bleed and break however their captor wants.

 

The color drains from Lance’s tanned face, and the he lets out a whisper that Keith can barely hear over the ringing in his ears.

 

“Stop it.” Lance has never sounded so small.

 

Kretek, meanwhile, is grinning. Keith feels the gauntlets around his wrists creaking from the pressure he’s putting on the restraints. The whistling anger burning through his head makes it hard to think, hard to stop from lashing out.

 

Then Lance looks toward him, face completely blank except for his eyes. The glazed-over blue of his irises has nearly swallowed up the pupils, expressive eyes blown wide. Lance’s gaze lifts to meet Keith’s, and he sees the flicker of panic. Something in him snaps.

 

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM,” roars from his chest. Fuck the restraints. Keith drops back onto his wrists and kicks out with his tied feet. His boots connect solidly with Kretek’s ribs, but it’s not enough. Not enough to stop him. Shiro rolls Lance out of the way, and Keith is up, throwing himself forward to finish the job.

 

_Face me. Fight me now and you’ll never touch him again._

 

The blaster fires before Keith even registers the weapon. A searing, scorching pain explodes in his shoulder and spreads through every vein of his body. Each beat of his heart sends phantom echoes of fire through his limbs, radiating around the blast in his shoulder. The buzzing in his ears fades out enough for Keith to hear Shiro yelling his name. The world is sideways, and purple hands are pulling him back upright.

 

“My armor took the worst of it,” he offers. The look on Shiro’s face suggests the Black paladin can see right through him. Point blank, his armor can only do so much. “I’ll live.” Blood drips onto the dirt between his knees.

 

Kretek is touching Lance again, forcefully turning his face to look over at Shiro and Keith. Lance is blinking back the tears that sting at his lashes while the commander murmurs about survival instinct, about fear. He wraps a hand around Lance’s throat with a smile, and Keith’s vision wavers.

 

Suddenly he’s dragging Lance, a yelp escaping the paladin as he’s wrenched backward across the ground by his arms. Kretek is taking him away, pulling him toward the ledge of the flooded ravine.

 

“NO!” Shiro lets out a curse and tries to rise. Keith follows the motion, still reeling in pain but trusting Shiro enough to know that they cannot let Lance be separated from them. The guards are on them both in an instant.

 

“Keith we have to stop him, he’s going to throw him in, _he’s going to hurt Lance_.” The Black paladin’s words are as frantic as his struggles to escape the hands of the soldiers around them. One of them puts a boot in the Black paladin’s side.

 

At the edge of the water, Kretek is tipping Lance back over the drop, ripping the restraints off his legs. The Galra leans in to say something in a voice too low for them to hear.

 

Shiro is screaming hopelessly for Lance to run, even though the commander still has a tight grip on his arm. “We’ll be fine, just go, throw him off and GO LANCE.”

 

Leaning in even closer, Kretek’s words turn the Blue paladin’s face into a mask of horror, eyes flicking over to Shiro and Keith... and then Lance is disappearing over the edge with a splash.

 

Keith’s throat goes raw as he screams Lance’s name.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be up very very soon!! I'm incredibly nervous trying to get everything juuust right, so bear with me for the next few chaps.
> 
> Also please know that I never could have gotten these words to the page if I didn't have [ThePaladin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePaladin) to cry to and your wonderful comments to excite me when the going got tough ♥ x1000
> 
> Next chapter: pain. nothing but pain.


	6. Suffer

Kretek stares down at the water, the elastic band from Lance’s legs still dangling in between his claws. After a moment, his shoulders begin to shake strangely. The Galra rolls his head back and the rumble of laughter reaches their ears. Keith’s confusion melts into fury, and he spits out a curse. That’s what all this is, then? Sick entertainment?

 

The commander turns to look at the paladins with a twisted grin, feigning surprise at their furious expressions. He sweeps an arm out across the ravine like an invitation.

 

“Don’t worry boys! He’s right here, don’t fuss. Do you miss him already? Let’s have you come take a look.” He gestures at the guards behind them.

 

Hands reach under his arms and drag them forward, mindless of the wound in his shoulder. Keith is spitting and fighting, but Shiro falls uncharacteristically still as the two are manhandled over to the side of the lake. 

 

As they approach the ledge, the Black paladin suddenly throws himself from the guards and makes a dive toward the water. Keith’s heart flashes with hope. Yes! With Lance free to move in the water, they could get away. Even with his arms bound, Lance is a strong enough swimmer to tow Shiro to safety, formulate a plan, get them out of this mess. Keith can make sure the Galra don’t follow them, and then he...

 

The commander intercepts Shiro inches from the edge, reaching out lightning-quick to snatch the top of the Voltron armor and fling the paladin bodily backward. He smashes into Keith, nearly bringing them both to the ground. Escape plans drain out of his mind, and Keith vaguely registers that although he’s close enough to see the water, there’s no sign of Lance.

 

“None of that, now. You’ll ruin our little bet,” Kretek chides.

 

“What are you talking about.” It’s not really a question, with all the barely-restrained force Keith puts behind it.  He has no time for games.

 

“Oh? The Blue paladin knows the rules.”

 

“What fucking rules??” Shiro demands. Lance still hasn’t surfaced.

 

Kretek won’t stop smiling, teasing them with answers and then pulling away a moment later. They don’t have  _ time  _ for this.

 

“LANCE,” Keith tries yelling to the water. Where is he??

 

“I’m not sure he can hear you, Red paladin. And it certainly wouldn’t matter if he does.” Kretek lowers himself in front of them, dropping the mocking attitude as his face suddenly goes dead serious. His gaze shifts between the two paladins, glowing eyes narrowed to a menacing gleam.

 

“You see,” he starts slowly, savoring the words. “I told him that if he comes back to the surface... I’ll shoot you both.” 

 

The Galra smiles.

 

Keith’s fury disappears beneath the shock as if someone dumped a bucket of freezing water over his head. No. Lance has to come back up. He… he couldn’t possibly stay under long enough.

 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Shiro’s voice rumbles out from his chest, head lowered and eyes livid. “You said yourself that we’re too important to the Galra. Lance knows that. He won’t fall for your bluff.”

 

“Won’t he?” Kretek glances over the ledge. “He certainly seems to be taking his time thinking about it.”

 

How long can Lance hold his breath? A minute? Maybe two? Keith’s mind scrambles to track how long the Blue paladin has been underwater, but his brain is buzzing in panic.

 

“You’re quite right though,” the commander continues. “The empire would never allow me to dispose of Red or Black so easily. I can bash you around and break some bones, but unfortunately I can’t just shoot you.”

 

He grins. “Well… shoot you  _ again _ , that is.” Kretek slaps Keith’s shoulder in emphasis as he rises, and the paladin shouts at the searing pain. 

 

The Galra puts a thumb to his chin in consideration. “I suppose I’d be forced to punish the Blue paladin for giving up on you. Snap all those long pretty fingers, maybe. Or start with an eye?” Keith aches for his blade, currently piled in with their confiscated helmets and bayards in the dirt. He imagines thrusting the weapon into the commander’s yellow eyes.

 

Kretek peers over the edge again, and lets out a low whistle. “That is, only if he even comes back to the surface. He’s sinking rather determinedly. Come look.”

 

Shiro and Keith are pushed to the ledge, side by side on their knees, and they lean as far forward as possible to see into the water. There, under the rippling waves, Keith sees the white and blue form of Lance in his armor. He’s not moving. Lance is an excellent swimmer, he should be on his way up now.

 

The Blue paladin lifts his face toward the sky. The sparkling blue of his eyes catches the light, and Keith stares down imploringly. Every atom of his existence is screaming at Lance to be selfish, just this once.

 

“Come on, Lance. Come on.” Shiro mutters beside him.

 

The blue eyes disappear as Lance drops his head back down, otherwise motionless.

 

“Lance has been swimming his whole life,” Keith starts, voice climbing without his control. “He should be on his way up by now. Why isn’t he… why isn’t he coming up? Shiro he has to come up for air.”

 

He glances to his left and freezes. Shiro’s face has crumpled into an expression of pain. Despair. “S-Shiro? Lance has to come back up.”

 

Shiro shakes his head.

 

“Don’t say that! Lance wouldn’t just… he can’t….” Keith’s voice breaks.

 

A few bubbles crest the surface, and Lance is moving slightly. He still doesn’t propel himself upward.

 

Shiro’s voice is quiet, cracking at the edges. “You know Lance would never put our lives at risk. Not the people he loves.”

 

Keith feels a sob rise up in his throat, and he swings his head in fierce denial. Gasping breaths fill his chest too fast, a sharp pressure building in his lungs.  _ “You’re saying he’s going to die for us, Shiro.” _

 

“He is,” Kretek sneers. The Galra around them are watching with interest, debating how long a human can last without air. Keith’s mind swings into violence, a desperate need to retaliate.

 

“He’s been down there long enough, boss. You’d think there’d be more… y’know, action by now.” One of the soldiers lowers his face to the waves, trying to get a better look.

 

Keith is going to be sick.

 

Suddenly, there’s movement down below. Keith’s eyes snap back to the water, but the drifting blue and white figure is obscured by a flurry of bubbles rushing toward the surface. Lance is twisting, writhing away from the darkness below him. His mouth is stretched open in a voiceless scream, but Keith hears screaming anyway. Throat already raw, the sounds tearing from his chest are painful even to his own ears.

 

Shiro is yelling too, hoarse begging for the Blue paladin to swim up, to come back to them. The team, his family needs him. The desperate tears dripping from his chin fall a huge distance before they disappear into the lake. Below the waves, Lance tugs mercilessly at the bindings on his wrists, wrenching his shoulders so hard that he rocks side to side in the water. The Red paladin’s eyes sway along with him, and his heart hammers against his ribcage.

 

The rapid-fire pulse sets his blood boiling over, and Keith drowns his fear in  _ fury _ . He fights and screams and swears, lashing out at the soldiers around him just as Lance is kicking against the suffocating weight of the water.

 

_ There’s still time, _ Keith’s mind screams.  _ There has to be time. Keep kicking, come back to the surface. Come back to us and breathe, Lance. _

 

His shoulder wound tears open again, blood flowing freely as his vision brushes white at the edges.

 

Shiro’s palm is flickering purple, but his arms are secured at an angle that he can’t burn through the restraints unless he slices through his remaining flesh arm first. From the look of agony tearing across the Black paladin’s face as he screams and rails against his bonds, Keith wonders if he’ll do just that.

 

Keith snaps at the hands that try to pull him back from the water. Biting, clawing, his humanity slips away from him for a moment. The surface is choppy, ridges rising and falling with the force from underwater. Small eddies slap up against the ravine’s rocky edge. He can still see Lance, he’s right there, just below the waves. Keith can reach him if he just  _ fights hard enough _ .

 

Lance’s movement slows and the dwindling bubbles stop. Shiro and Keith freeze, breathing heavy as their limbs lock up in fear. The glittering water makes the image wobble. The Blue paladin jerks once…. Twice. And then his body goes lax.

 

The Galra around them are jeering, talking amongst themselves about the pathetic thrashing of a paladin of Voltron. One of them spits into the water and laughs. This is the moment Keith’s heart will burst. He’ll kill them. He’ll kill them all. 

 

A wavering figure floats underwater, motionless. The sight leaves Keith broken, tears burning down his face and blurring his vision, but he can’t look away. Every detail brands into his memory.

 

Lance’s head is tilted back to look up at the surface, eyes wide and frozen. Soft tendrils of brown hair drift gently around the curves of his face, blue eyes shining iridescent as they catch the sun.

 

Shiro makes a sound of anguish as he stares down into the water. Keith feels a sweep of numbness wash over his body, pins and needles pricking at his limbs.

 

Lance is gone.

 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ; ﹏ ;


	7. Retaliate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments on previous chapter, I’ll leave flowers at all your graves lol ♥ Good news is that this one is all about action-packed badassery to give your gentle hearts time to recover before the next whammy.
> 
> [changes chapter count again] NO ONE LOOK AT ME.

 

Keith hardly notices as the two paladins are pulled back from the edge of the ravine. They’re left kneeling in the dirt for a time, but Keith doesn’t care, mind adrift as the rest of the world speeds on around him.

 

“Keith?”

 

Lance is gone.

 

“Keith, please.” It’s Shiro.

 

The Red paladin blinks slowly, concern bringing him back to the present.

 

“I need you here with me. I need you focused, Keith.” Shiro’s voice warms as Keith’s eyes meet his own. “That’s it, easy now. Stay with me.”

 

“Lance... he’s…”

 

Shiro hushes him gently and Keith wishes he could be as strong as the Black paladin. He swallows and shoves all the hurt deep into his chest. Shiro’s right, he needs to keep focused. Keith still has someone to protect.

 

A group of soldiers are convened nearby, notifying their commander that the extraction team will arrive in a matter of minutes to take the paladins to the main fleet. Kretek is to be rewarded handsomely for his successful capture.

 

Shiro leans forward to whisper into Keith’s ear, then rolls so the two are back to back. The Black paladin slumps down to press their arms together, feigning exhaustion to anyone else looking their way.

 

Keith feels a spark ignite and burn away the last traces of the numbness in his mind. _“Make him angry,”_ Shiro had said. Oh, he can do that. Keith raises his voice and addresses the Galra commander with vigor.

 

“You’re a bigger idiot than I thought if you think Voltron will be broken so easily. As if we won’t hunt you down for what you’ve done. Won’t make you suffer for it.”

 

Kretek’s eyes snap to Keith and the soldiers guarding the pair stiffen to attention. Behind him, Keith feels Shiro’s prosthetic grow warm in proximity. He tries to keep the realization out of his eyes as Shiro carefully starts burning away the material around the Red paladin’s wrists.

 

He needs to hold everyone’s attention on him for this to work. Keep Kretek angry, make him sloppy. Keith is careful not to move, else he risks losing a finger. It’s a dangerous plan, cutting so close to Keith’s skin without looking, and Shiro would never do it under normal circumstances. But the extraction team is on its way and they need an opportunity for escape.

 

“So quick to call for backup, you coward??”

 

Kretek strides toward Keith to aim a kick at his knees. The sudden movement makes Shiro’s palm burn into his armor with a hiss. The Black paladin curses and Kretek’s gaze flicks away from Keith. He stalks around to face Shiro, and Keith yells abuses to try and regain his attention. Fortunately, the Galra seems focused enough on Shiro’s face, and Keith feels the heat return as the prosthetic arm activates again.

 

“You’ve gotten awfully quiet, Black paladin.” Kretek challenges. “Perhaps shocked to see your mistakes result in the pain of those around you? One would think you’d be used to that by now.”

 

Finally, the pressure around Keith’s wrists gives way, and he barely restrains the urge to slam his fist into the commander’s teeth. Instead he keeps them steady behind his back, fingers working to unclasp Shiro’s bonds.

 

“Do you think they’ll ever forgive you?” Kretek leans closer to sneer in Shiro’s face. “What kind of miserable failure would lead his teammates to capture and death like this?” The paladin keeps silent, black eyes glaring into the Galra’s yellow.

 

Keith’s fingers are fumbling with the bindings, his hands slick with blood and sweat and dirt… He can’t get a grip and feels Shiro’s arms shaking with tension. The commander takes his silence as weakness and scoffs.

 

“Not so fierce now, are you, _Champion._ ”

 

Shiro tilts up toward him, mouth twisted in a grimace, hissing words only loud enough for Keith and Kretek to hear.

 

“For every second that you touched him, for every moment that you hurt my team... _I am going to make you bleed.”_

 

Shiro slams his head forward, butting into the commander with a crack that sends the Galra reeling backward. Keith reacts instinctively, surging to his feet as he swings an elbow into a soldier’s face.

 

Legs still tied, Keith launches himself toward the small collection of helmets and weapons left sitting at the lakeside, skidding on his knees to thrust his hands into the pile. A soldier slams his rifle into Shiro’s forehead and a burst of blood rolls over the Black paladin’s eye. Another guard rushes after Keith.

 

Keith snatches up his dagger and brings it slicing through the material around his ankles, then turns to throw the knife toward Shiro. It sinks into the dirt beside him, and Shiro is quick to flip the blade over in his hands and start sawing through the bindings on his wrists. Keith kicks a leg up into the torso of the guard who pursued him, sending the Galra crashing to the side.

 

Scrambling back into the weapons pile, Keith feels his fingers wrap around the familiar shape of a bayard. He pulls it out, only to see deep blue instead of fiery red.

 

His chest rolls with a wave of grief, but Keith shoves the feeling down again. He drops the bayard and grabs his own, spinning on his heel as the sword activates with a flash. His mind is burning white hot.

 

Kretek is back on his feet, hollering for more soldiers to subdue the paladins. Keith rushes forward to protect Shiro, shield activating just as the first blaster shots ring out. Then the Black paladin is up on his feet, tossing the dagger aside and activating his deadly arm with a hum. The soldiers fan out in a circle around them, the looks on the paladins’ faces apparently enough to make the Galra think twice about rushing in.

 

A jet flare in the air above them makes the entire group look up, and the shadow of a Galran battleship falls across the landscape. The extraction team is here, with a handful of smaller gunships buzzing around the main cruiser. Keith’s mouth goes dry as he considers their situation.

 

The paladins are grossly outnumbered, both on the ground and in the sky, but neither one of them moves to back down. Shiro is still dazed from the split in his forehead, and Keith sways slightly with the dizzying effect of blood loss. They’re ready to fight, no matter how hopeless the odds.

 

One of the fighter ships trains its gun on the paladins, releasing a slight screech as it prepares to fire.

 

The weapon is drowned out by a ferocious roar from above, and Blue comes piercing down to smash the ship beneath her paws. She lands with a deafening rumble, the water in the ravine splashing and reverberating from her impact.

 

The lion roars again and takes out a handful of soldiers with a swipe of her tail before leaping up into the air to take on the battleship. Without her pilot, she’s clumsier than normal, lacking the fluid swoops and acrobatics that Lance brings to their combat - but her shocking presence is enough of a distraction for the paladins on the ground to start swinging at the soldiers around them.

 

Keith hacks and slashes at any Galra he can reach, moving in tune with Shiro as he tears through soldiers in equal measure. Keith throws his shield up to deflect zinging blaster shots, and tracking their source brings his eyes to Kretek. The commander stands at a distance, laser rifle in hand.

 

A burst of anger erupts, punching through his thin veneer of control, and Keith sees red. He lets his shield drop and focuses completely on the weight of the sword in his hands as he runs up toward the commander. Shiro calls his name in alarm, but the Black paladin is cut off by soldiers again and has to keep swinging.

 

Keith ducks under the first laser pulse and slams into Kretek. He manages to block Keith’s sword with the side of his blaster, fangs flashing as the Galra pushes back against the blade with formidable strength. Keith is bloody and tiring, but the rage keeps him going.

 

The Galra snakes a hand out and grabs hold of his bleeding shoulder wound. He squeezes mercilessly and Keith recoils with a pained shout. Sparks still flashing in his vision, the Red paladin drops and sweeps a leg under the commander’s feet. Kretek goes sprawling onto his back, skidding toward the edge of the ravine.

 

Keith blinks his vision clear again and stalks toward the prone commander, sword hanging loosely in his grasp. Kretek is mumbling frantically into a comm device, but all Keith can hear is the pulsing in his head, chanting for _revenge, revenge, Revenge_.

 

Shiro’s shout is the only reason he reacts in time when the gunship fires. Kretek had called for air support, and Keith just barely throws himself backward out of the way as a huge blast from one of the fighter ships hits the dirt where he had been standing.

 

Keith lands hard on his side, winded, and his bayard goes flying from his hands to clatter down the slope of the dirt. When Keith looks up, Kretek is back on his feet again at the edge of the ravine, rifle pointed directly at the Red paladin. The Galra is too far away to charge and there’s no time to move out of the way.

 

“Give my regards to your dearly departed comrade,” Kretek shouts, and brings the rifle up to his shoulder.

 

Keith’s world slows around him, and the sounds of the battlefield seem to fade. Eyes unfocused, all Keith can see is the memory of Lance’s body under the waves. Pain. Regret. He’s so sorry. So much he left unsaid, so many he failed to protect. Kretek’s finger tightens around the trigger. _Lance, I…_

 

The commander stumbles suddenly, and his shot goes wide. The sound snaps Keith back into the moment, and he’s up on his feet and scanning the ground around him. There! Diving forward in a roll, Keith scoops up the dagger Shiro discarded and runs for cover.

 

Above them, Blue takes a nasty hit from the battleship and goes skidding into the ground, sending up a wave of rocks as she slides to a stop. Debris flies toward the battlefield and Shiro calls for Keith to duck. The Black paladin punches out one more blaster-wielding soldier, then throws his arm up and turns away from the hail of stones and dirt.

 

When the brief shower of rocks stops, Keith sees that Kretek hasn’t moved from his spot at the ravine’s edge. All his emotions drain from him like a sieve, leaving Keith hollow with their absence. Only one thought remains: **kill him.**

 

The Red paladin charges forward with a savage yell, not caring that he’s trying to close distance armed with nothing but a dagger. He’s literally bringing a knife to a gunfight, but fuck logic, he wants Kretek _dead_. This is the Galra who killed Lance. As long as Keith takes him down, nothing else matters.

 

Keith runs across the battlefield toward the distracted commander, knuckles white as they grip around his knife. He’s halfway there when Kretek swings his rifle toward Keith with an enraged growl, and the Red paladin doesn’t slow down even as the blaster primes to fire.

 

A laser rips across the battlefield and the center of Kretek’s chest explodes. The commander freezes, looking down at the blistering hole in his torso as if confused. Keith skids to a stop and his head snaps over to Shiro, who holds a soldier’s rifle in steady hands even as he pants heavily from exertion.

 

“You took Lance. _You will not_ _have Keith_ _too_.”

 

Kretek’s body topples sideways and disappears over the ravine’s ledge with a splash.

 

Shiro lets out a rattling breath. “You will never hurt any of my team again.”

 

It’s done. All the anger and grief and heartbreak comes pouring back into his body and Keith drops to his knees. The fight isn’t over, not really, but his strength falters once he hits the ground. Shiro fires off a few more shots at approaching soldiers, making his way toward Keith for a final stand.

 

They’ve taken down an impressive number of Galra, if the bodies lying scattered around the field are any indication. But the Blue lion is down and the extraction team is closing in above them.

 

Keith is just… tired. His eyes are watering as he stares out across the battlefield. He sees a shimmer in air, crossing the horizon almost like a trick of the light. And yet, it’s oddly familiar.

 

The Green lion uncloaks with a roar.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> frequently asked Q's:  
> YES artwork would be amazing, I will print it out and eat it.  
> YES there is a happy ending - there will _always_ be happy endings omg i would never  
>  YES the last chapter will be a recovery epilogue  
> YES i have more ideas for stories and I hope you guys will join me again in writing them!!
> 
> Next chapter: The team finds Lance and there are so, so many tears.


	8. Cradle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read em and weep baby, we’ve got fanart. JudetheInvincible sent me [this artwork of Lance’s drowning scene](https://amateursuperhero-withapen.tumblr.com/post/161674379062/art-for-alchemist-rising-s-fic-fighting-the) and I’m pinning it to my fridge forever so check it out!
> 
> Now, without further ado:

_ One of the commander’s armor-clad limbs connects solidly with the side of Lance’s head, and he feels the world spin in response. Dazed, he falls back under the surface and tries to blink away the black at the sides of his vision.  _

 

_ The last thing Lance sees before the darkness overtakes him is Commander Kretek’s body spiralling down into the depths. And then, nothing. _

 

_ \- - - _

 

The Green lion swoops toward the battleship, sending stinging lasers into the belly of the cruiser and destroying any of the smaller ships that get too close. Confronted with a fully-manned lion of Voltron, and already leaking smoke from Blue’s previous attacks, it’s not long before the Galran vessel turns to retreat. Keith half expects Green to race after the limping craft and tear it to shreds, but instead she pulls up short and drops to the ground.

 

The Green lion lands lightly and Pidge comes rolling out from her jaws. Hunk isn’t far behind, barrelling down the walkway to lay covering fire as the Green paladin darts into the fray. Shiro lets loose the occasional blast from his stolen rifle, but he doesn’t move from Keith’s side. Once the remaining Galra soldiers are incapacitated, Pidge and Hunk come racing over.

 

“Shiro! Keith! Oh man, that shoulder doesn’t look too good.” Hunk unstraps a first aid kit from his back, not breaking stride as he moves in close to start working on the Red paladin’s blaster wound. Pidge tugs off her helmet and sweeps her eyes over the two of them as if reassuring herself that they’re really okay.

 

“You weren’t responding to your comms and Allura says Blue just took off from the castle on her own.” She looks apologetic for a moment. “We decided to cut the data extraction short and came as fast as we could. Are you alright??”

 

Before Shiro can even collect himself to answer, tinny conversation comes buzzing out of the helmet under Pidge’s arm. She shifts and reaches inside to flick a switch.

 

Coran’s voice rolls across the speaker system, a mix of curiosity and concern. “Looks like you boys were caught in a Galra snare, that’s quite the situation! I was just telling the princess here how incredibly rare it is for any of the lions to move on their own, unless their paladin is in imminent danger.”

 

Keith tenses and Hunk murmurs an apology, clearly thinking the reaction comes from the stinging antiseptic he’s applying.

 

“Shiro.” Allura takes the mic from Coran, voice serious. “We contacted Pidge and Hunk right away when Blue left the hanger. I overruled your plan and made the decision to abort the data collection, but from the looks of this battle it appears that sending reinforcements was the right call. I’m just so glad Blue reached the planet in time.”

 

_ Not fast enough, _ Keith’s mind counters.

 

At the reminder of the fallen lion, Pidge turns to inspect the carnage around them. She lets out a low whistle when she sees the skid marks from Blue’s brutal landing.

 

“Looks like Team Blue really did some damage.” Pidge walks toward the lion lying in the dirt. “Is Lance inside? We better make sure he’s not too banged up.”

 

Keith inhales sharply and Shiro releases the Galra rifle to hang at his side. This time Hunk withdraws fully, looking between the devastated paladins with quiet confusion.

 

“Oi sharpshooter, you alright in there?” Pidge hollers up at the lion, hands cupped around her mouth. Blue’s eyes are dim, her flank half buried in the torn landscape.

 

“Pidge…” Shiro says softly.

 

Hunk takes a step back at the sound of his voice. “Where… where’s Lance?”

 

Pidge turns, face transforming with concern when Shiro hesitates to answer. Keith stares down at his knees, too fragile to even lift his head anymore.

 

Hunk and Pidge are looking to Shiro for reassurance, the first shadows of fear drifting onto their faces. “Shiro… where is he?”

 

The Black paladin draws in a breath to answer, but the air comes rattling back out in an aborted sob before he manages to choose his words. Keith’s adrenaline builds anew as Hunk’s voice grows more frantic in asking what happened, calling for Lance.

 

Keith’s head whips toward the ravine and he struggles to his feet, muscles painful and stiff as he moves to run toward the water’s edge. He only makes it a few steps before Shiro snags him around the middle.

 

With the sudden impasse, the Red paladin bursts into frustrated tears. “NO, no we have to get him! We have to get him out.” He folds himself over Shiro’s arm desperately, trying to reach at the water.

 

“It’s been too long,” Shiro says to the boy struggling against him. “Keith, stop.”

 

Pidge is next to them now, asking what happened, what’s going on? Hunk’s eyes are latched onto the blue helmet lying among the pile in the dirt as Allura and Coran demand information over the comms.

 

Keith doesn’t stop pulling, fighting through the mist prickling at his lashes even as his attempts to pry himself free weaken. “Let me go, you have to let me go, we have to get Lance.” Beneath his pleas he hears a heartbroken Shiro explain what happened in faltering words. Recounts their capture, Kretek pushing Lance into the water, his sick ultimatum to the Blue paladin.

 

Pidge’s small face is pale and horrified, and Hunk shakes his head in wide-eyed denial.

 

“No. No, he’s gotta be okay, Lance is too strong a swimmer he wouldn’t just… give up.” Hunk’s words are met with silence, and his eyes fill with tears.

 

“...he would for us.” Shiro looks up at the younger paladins. “For any of us.”

 

“How DARE he,” Keith demands, but instead of anger the words come out tangled in a sob. He has no fighting strength left except to lean himself toward the water.

 

Pidge swallows and touches Shiro’s elbow gently. He drops his face into his hand, letting his other arm fall clenched at his side. The Green paladin has never seen him cry before.

 

When Shiro lets go, Keith stumbles forward and pulls himself into a run. He’s off like a shot to the flooded ravine, suddenly teetering at the ledge.

 

There he is.

 

A blue and white clad figure drifts below the water, barely more than a few feet down. He’s motionless, eyes closed. Keith’s heart catches in his throat and he dives in.

 

He grabs Lance around the chest, pulling his head above the water and dragging him back toward the shore. Hunk reaches down over the ledge to hoist them both out, Pidge fluttering at his side. They lay Lance out on the ground, damp hair sticking to his forehead and fanning out where his head rolls limp in the grass. There’s no tension to his face. He might just be dreaming if it weren’t for the pale tint from the cold water, color washed from his lips.

 

Hunk doesn’t waste time lifting a hand to Lance’s mouth. His palm shakes above Lance’s lips for a moment before Hunk dips his head with a whimper. No puff of breath. 

 

Keith kneels beside Lance, hovering but unable to touch, unsure what to do as Hunk and Pidge pull and position the weak figure. Shiro turns away from where the paladins are gathered, slamming the side of his metal fist into a piece of Galran wreckage. The crash reverberates around his constricted shout of grief.

 

Pidge flinches at the sound and fumbles for Lance’s wrist, tears leaking from beneath her glasses as she panics. “I can’t… I can’t get a good grip, there’s all this flight suit in the way but, but I don’t th-think there’s a pulse Hunk I don’t feel anything. What do we do… we have to do something!!” 

 

She’s already lost so much of her family, and the thought of losing anyone else is clearly crashing down around her. The fear makes her shoulders shake and her fingers tremble as they grasp weakly in search of a heartbeat.

 

“I don’t think he’s breathing. Oh god, Lance, buddy. I… I can’t tell around the armor, we have to get it off him.” Hunk visibly pulls himself to focus, running through all the half-remembered lifeguard training Lance has told him. “Keith, get his armor off! Pidge hold his head up, like this…”

 

Keith shudders into action and lifts his hands to Lance’s chestplate. The first two clasps are still undone, and there’s a flash of Kretek’s claws working their way over the Blue paladin, the rippling tension in Lance’s shoulders… Keith chokes and pulls at the pieces of his armor.

 

Shiro has turned to the lions. Green is crouched next to her sister, who lies injured on the field much like her paladin, eyes flickering and nearly dark.

 

“How could you do this?” 

 

Shiro’s voice cracks, sounding broken in a way none of the paladins have ever heard before. “This is _ your fault, _ ” he directs at Blue. The younger paladins turn to look over at him in surprise.

 

His voice raises to a shout. “THIS IS YOUR FAULT! He was a child and you brought him to this war, all of them just children. Lance was too  _ good  _ for this,  _ how could you?? _ ” Green recoils slightly and Blue’s eyes flicker.

 

“The legendary Voltron, an ancient guardian crafted from science and magic, called upon to defend the entire universe in battle. And you choose a bunch of KIDS? Not soldiers, not weapons, just…. kids.” Shiro’s hands fly to his temples, grip tight as he screams his grief at the silent machines.  _ “WHY DID YOU HAVE TO PICK HIM?!” _

 

The team stares up in shock during Shiro’s outburst. Pidge looks terrified, and Keith watches his foundation, his hero, crumble to his knees in the dirt.

 

Hunk jolts back into motion over Lance, blinking back tears of confusion and disbelief. He starts chest compressions, throwing his weight into his hands and counting off: _ 1… 2… 3… 4… _ As if sheer force of will can drown out reality.

 

A pause. Nothing.

 

_ 1… 2… 3... _ But Hunk breaks down before he can even finish another set. He knows it’s a hopeless effort. If what Shiro described is true, Lance has been under for too long. The Yellow paladin throws his arms over Lance and weeps into his friend’s chest. Pidge kneels down next to him and gathers Hunk into her small arms. 

 

The Garrison Trio.

 

_ He’s right. _ Keith realizes.  _ We’re just a bunch of kids. _

 

Shiro staggers back to the paladins, subdued now as he stares down at Lance. With all his rage boiled away, the Black paladin is vulnerable, nothing left in him except a bottomless sadness.

 

“He was in the water for at least twenty minutes, maybe more,” he explains, voice soft. “No one can hold their breath that long.”

 

Shiro drops down next to Keith in the grass, looking as broken as Keith feels. The Red paladin reaches out to take hold of one of Lance’s clammy hands. His skin is chilled, but somehow there’s still warmth in his fingers. Keith squeezes tighter.

 

“We… we saw it. When he ran out of air.” Keith confesses quietly. “They made us watch.”

 

He hears Allura and Coran gasp through the comms, and Pidge lets out a sniffle as her eyes refill with tears.

 

“He was supposed to go home,” Hunk whispers. Keith knows they’re all thinking of the stories Lance would tell them about the things he misses most. Homemade pozole, a little house by the sea, his mother’s hugs. Lance had wanted to go home so badly, and yet he never tried to shield himself from the worst of the fighting. He gave all his effort, fought through blood and grime and tears to protect his team, his second family.

 

And here he is now. Lying motionless in the dirt of some ravaged planet. For what? For Keith?

 

Shiro is murmuring quiet apologies at his side. That he’s sorry they came to this planet, that it was all Shiro’s idea to lead a distraction team into the forest. “I’m just… so sorry, Lance” is the phrase that keeps repeating, the agony of guilt sounding more raw each time.

 

Keith speaks up gently, the back of his throat squeezing tight and reluctant to form words. The others raise their eyes to the Red paladin, but his gaze never leaves Lance’s face.

 

“We weren’t really rivals you know. Not anymore, not really. We… we were getting along, for a while now I thought that maybe I even…” His voice falters. “That I might… that I lo…”

 

Shiro puts a hand on his shoulder. “I know.” Tears burn down the Red paladin’s cheeks.

 

Hunk lifts a watery smile at Keith, as if he’d known all along what Keith is just now able to voice.

 

Able to voice too late.

 

Keith pulls Lance’s body into his arms, digs his face into Lance’s neck. “You can’t leave us,” he whispers with a shuddering breath.  _ You can’t leave me. _

 

Lance’s body jolts as the Blue paladin starts coughing.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry to leave you on such a cliffhanger (but not that sorry ♥) Next chapter offers an explanation on why Lance stopped breathing for quite so long, I promise. I'd also like to offer full credit to the incredible [ThePaladin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePaladin/pseuds/ThePaladin), who came up with the idea of Shiro yelling at the lions ;__;
> 
> Question for the readers: Whose perspective should we use for the next chapter? Lance POV? Keith POV? Would it be too repetitive to read both?? Let me know!!


	9. Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fanart aaaa!! Angie-the-Hobbit [drew this picture of Shiro,](https://angie-the-hobbit.tumblr.com/post/161868475813/this-is-art-for-the-amazing-fanfic-fighting-the) check it out!
> 
> Big thank you to [ Lexiimatsu](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexiimatsu/pseuds/Lexiimatsu) for all sorts of character interaction ideas. 
> 
> If this chapter squeezes your heart, it's because my one true love [ThePaladin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePaladin/pseuds/ThePaladin) completely re-outlined the plot for Maximum Heartbreak Impact so go cry at her please. ♥

 

Lance is drifting, dreaming in the darkness around him.

 

 _1… 2… 3… 4…_ There’s a steady thumping on his chest for a few moments, and he vaguely registers that it should hurt. Awareness comes to him slowly, and Lance attempts to reel his dulled senses back in. He was fighting someone, fighting for something important…?

 

Warmth wraps around his hand, the sensation like a glow in the emptiness around him. It squeezes tight, and his scattered mind latches onto the focal point. He was underwater, there was a battle, Lance needs to get back to them.

 

Lance struggles to pull himself out of the dream, trying to lift his head above the murky water of unconsciousness. Shiro. Keith. They’re still in danger. He remembers now, he needs to wake up.

 

Strong arms wrap around him, a tickle of hair brushing his face. He’d recognize that mullet anywhere. Lance fights harder against the suffocating darkness, but he's dragged back down relentlessly.

 

 _“You can’t leave us,”_ whispers in his ear.

 

The broken words send a stab of pain through his heart, and Lance surges up to break the surface at last.

 

Gasping, the world comes rushing back. Lance sits up with a jolt, hearing Pidge give a frightened yelp. Coughing around the cotton feel in his throat, his eyes fly open and he’s hit with a disorienting swirl of colors and light.

 

The team is here, and he blinks up at their desperate, tear-streaked faces. There’s a moment of stunned silence… then pandemonium. Voices shouting his name in disbelief and panicked hands pushing at his chest trying to get him to lay back down. Shiro rolls him to his side and starts thumping between Lance’s shoulder blades to clear passage for air.

 

Distorted voices are coming from a helmet lying nearby, frantically asking what’s going on over the paladins’ reactions.

 

“H-he’s alive!!” Hunk shouts out through his tears, and sounds of celebration ring over the comms. The Yellow paladin breaks down again, the shift from one emotional extreme to the other leaving him breathless.

 

Lance finally stops coughing, and Shiro is pressing a flesh hand to his throat to time his vitals. Grief still lingers in the leader's eyes while he checks Lance over, as if the boy in front of him is a hallucination instead of reality. Lance tries to sit up again, only to find that Keith won’t let him.

 

The Red paladin stares down at Lance with an expression of shock, hands frozen and hovering a few inches above Lance’s shoulders. His gaze is intense, skin around his eyes swollen and red.

  
“Hey Mullet,” Lance rasps out, voice still torn up from the water. “You okay?”

 

Keith’s brows knit together at the question, and an indignant expression crosses his face. Lance recognizes the anger brewing and braces himself for a hostile response.

 

Instead, he’s stunned to see Keith's face crumble, shocked by the tears that well from his eyes. They track down Keith's face, gathering on his chin before dropping to the dusty ground. Keith is shaking… no he's sobbing, and Lance's heart twists.

 

He directs a confused look over to Hunk. “W-why is Keith crying?”

 

His best friend looks at him in disbelief and responds by gesturing at all of Lance. _Because of you!_ Hunk’s expression says.

 

Keith is crying… over him? Lance takes advantage of the distraction to sit up, and extends a tentative hand toward the Red paladin. His fingers hesitate just as Keith finds his voice.

 

“Lance you were DEAD.” There’s no heat in his tone, and his voice cracks on the last syllable. He tackles Lance into a crushing hug that takes the Blue paladin by surprise. “I thought you were gone, you idiot,” Keith cries into his shoulder, tears turning the word into an endearment.

 

The others join in, Pidge flinging her arms around Lance’s neck with a sob as Hunk folds himself around the whole group. Shiro wraps a hand around the back of Lance’s head and pulls the smaller boy in under his chin.

 

“We thought we lost you,” Shiro mumbles into his hair. “I’m so sorry, Lance. I’m so sorry.”

 

The Black paladin pulls back to stare at Lance’s face for a moment, still looking like he can’t believe it. Like the universe might be playing a cruel trick on him after all. Shiro shakes his head slowly, pain making his eyes distant. “I should have protected you, I should have done better. You never should have been in that position.”

 

Lance shifts into adamant refusal. “Hey, Shiro, no. It wasn’t your fault.” Their leader’s shoulders stay hunched under the guilt.

 

Lance looks down at the crying paladins around him. “Wait what happened? Pidge, Hunk, what about the mission??”

 

“We came running as soon as we heard Blue left the castle. When we got here…” Pidge sniffles and curls tighter. “Don’t you ever do that to us again. I was so scared.”

 

“Oh. I-I’m so sorry Pidgey. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Lance offers. The Green paladin isn’t normally a touchy person, but now she’s wrapped up around him like she can’t risk letting go. “I didn’t mean to scare any of you. I’m sorry guys, please don’t cry.”

 

Hunk hushes him as he swipes at his own eyes. “Dude don’t you dare apologize. We’re not mad at you. I’m just… I’m just so happy you’re okay.” Clearly he’s still upset, but he makes an effort to lift a reassuring smile at Lance.

 

Lance drops his attention to Keith, who’s still clinging to the Blue paladin like a lifeline. As if he’s afraid Lance will disappear again if his grip loosens. Lance takes a moment to appreciate the firm hold of Keith’s arms around him, keeping him secure even as the team is overwhelmed by emotion. His face is still buried into Lance’s shoulder, and Lance’s eyes are drawn to the blaster wound cracking through the red armor.

 

“Keith, oh man, are you alright?? You were shot, did Kretek get-”

 

“Don’t say that bastard’s name. He’s dead. I don’t care,” Keith growls out. “I- We thought he took you from us.” He tightens his grip again, and Lance quiets at the protective tilt to his voice. The Blue paladin takes a moment to just be held, savoring the fresh air that flows in and out of his chest with every breath.

 

Shiro speaks up carefully, as if frightened to ask. “Lance… you were under for almost twenty minutes. We saw it, we saw when…” He trails off while his voice tightens in heartbreak.

 

Keith finally releases him and leans back to share a knowing glance with the Black paladin. Lance winces at the devastated look on both their faces, confirmation that they saw everything.

 

 _They thought it was real, oh god._ Lance had drowned right in front of them. Nevermind that it was an act, how would they have known? It had been a close call even from his perspective. Lance shudders. Shiro and Keith watched him die. It’s no wonder the team is reacting like this, thinking he was dead. A wave of guilt washes over him.

 

“Guys, I’m so sorry. I had to, I had to fake it. I didn’t want the commander to know I was okay. I couldn’t risk him hurting you!” Lance stumbles over his words in his haste to explain himself. “I thought if I faked drowning like they expected, it would give you the chance to escape. That I could help somehow…”

 

The pain in their expressions mixes with a grim understanding of what Lance means. Kretek expected him to die, and had no doubt threatened terrible things if the Blue paladin managed to survive. The faces of the paladins around him shift into confusion as they realize what Lance is saying.

 

“But, if you were faking it… how did you stay underwater for so long?” Pidge asks.

 

“You’re the best swimmer I know but even you can’t hold your breath for that amount of time,” Hunk adds.

 

Lance smiles weakly at the reminder of how incredible his lion is. His hand drifts up to rub at the side of his neck, feeling the gentle ridges of the gills as they lay flat against his skin. They must have sealed closed now that he’s out of the water. He reaches to tug at the turtleneck of his flight suit.

 

“My beautiful girl had my back,” Lance answers, pulling down the fabric to reveal the side of his throat. A few of the paladins gasp. “Blue worked some magic.”

 

“Are those… gills??” Pidge asks in disbelief.

 

“They look more like scars than gills,” Shiro brings up, sounding concerned by any drastic alteration of Lance’s body.

 

“I uh, think they sealed up?” Lance offers. “I’m not sure. I haven’t gotten to see them yet but they definitely let me breathe underwater.”

 

Pidge opens her mouth to ask another question, but Coran’s voice interrupts from over the comms. “I know we’re all curious, but perhaps this can wait until you’re all out of hostile territory and into some healing pods?”

 

Shiro jolts back into action, as if suddenly remembering where they are. Rising to his feet, he grabs the helmet and starts relaying their coordinates to Allura.

 

“His vitals seem fine, yes, but we need a healing pod ready. I’m not taking any chances.” Shiro sweeps a glance over the paladins.

 

Lance looks around and notices the collection of wounds has grown since he last saw the other two paladins. Shiro has blood running down his forehead, and Keith’s shoulder looks half-treated at best.

 

He lifts a hand to Keith’s forehead to brush at a darkening bruise near his temple. Keith flinches slightly but doesn’t pull back. The Red paladin has been quiet, but he hasn’t moved more than a few inches from Lance’s side this whole time.

 

“Actually make that two pods. Keith took a blaster shot to the shoulder and seems to think I’ll just overlook it,” Shiro adds.

 

Lance begins to shiver as the cold water settles into his skin. Hunk notices immediately and starts rubbing at his arms to warm him up. “Guys we really need to get moving.”

 

Shiro nods and steps closer, leaning forward as if to scoop Lance up in a carry. The Blue paladin squawks and brushes him off. “Hey hey whoa I’m fine to walk, really.” Shiro looks skeptical.

 

Determined, Lance grabs Hunk’s hand and the sturdy paladin hesitantly pulls him to his feet. Lance pats Hunk on the shoulder reassuringly once he’s fully upright, taking a step forward.

 

“See? No prob-” Lance teeters forward as his knees give out. Keith catches him by the elbow and Shiro dips under Lance’s arm in an instant to support him. Hunk clings onto his other hand to help him balance as they start walking. They set the slowest, most ginger pace Lance has ever experienced, leaning heavily on Shiro while Hunk and Keith hover in concern.

 

Lance is shaky at best, but all thoughts of his own condition disappear when he looks up to see Blue lying on her side. _Oh, cariño, my sweet lion. What happened??_

 

His lion’s eyes light up again and she lifts her head weakly to greet her paladin. Blue sends a gentle wave of love over their mental bond, too tired to voice her reassurances. She’s hurt, but she’ll heal, so long as Lance is okay.

 

He closes his eyes to bask in the fierce devotion crossing between their connection. His beautiful lion, there for him always.

 

Behind them, Pidge gathers up their discarded equipment before following. Allura’s voice crackles over the green helmet’s speaker. “We’ll bring the castle into low orbit. Can the lions make it back to meet us?”

 

Shiro gives the two machines a measured look. “Green is ready to fly but Blue looks like she’s still recovering. We may need to evac now and come back for her.”

 

“No!” Lance reacts automatically. “We can’t leave her here.”

 

Hunk turns, already looking apologetic. “I know you don’t like being separated but you’ve been through a lot of trauma, man. You really need to take it easy.”

 

“I’m fine, really! I know I need to be careful, but there’s no way I’m leaving my girl behind.” Lance directs his next words at Shiro. “Besides, we can’t risk abandoning a lion of Voltron in hostile territory. Her barrier might not even work right now!”

 

Shiro has never looked more reluctant, but he can hardly argue against Lance’s point. “Fine,” he relents. “Hunk and I will stay with the Blue lion while you and-”

 

“Nu-uh. Not happening. I’m staying with Blue and that’s that.” At Lance’s declaration, his lion shifts and rumbles to her feet carefully. Her jets flare, not as strong as usual but clearly ready to leave alongside her paladin. _You need healing as much as I do, little one,_ Blue reminds.

 

“There, look, she’s ready to go, she can fly. I’m going back to the castle with Blue.” Lance plants himself as sturdy as he can to face Shiro. The Black paladin still doesn’t seem convinced.

 

Lance quiets. “She saved my life, Shiro.”

 

“I’ll take him.” Keith strides forward and heaves Lance’s arm across his back, heedless of the Blue paladin’s protests over his wounded shoulder. “You’re certainly not going on your own, and we need the others in Green to get back the castle faster and prep the medbay.” He levels a determined look at the rest of the team, daring anyone to try and stop him.

 

Shiro swipes a palm down his face with a sigh, the leader’s protective nature clearly fighting with the need to get both of them into healing pods immediately.

 

“Dammit. Fine.” He turns back to the comms. “Okay, Allura we’re taking both lions back...”

 

Keith shoulders more than enough of Lance’s weight as the two make their way into Blue’s mouth. As they shuffle into the cockpit, his lion purrs beneath their feet. Lance wobbles toward the pilot seat, but Keith stumbles and they end up sliding to the ground, backs against the console. With an exhausted sigh, Lance leans his head backward and relaxes. Close enough.

 

Being back in his lion brings a wave of comfort, and Lance feels truly safe for the first time since he reached the surface of the water. Keith settles in beside him, shifting slightly to accommodate the twinge of his wound, and doesn’t mention how much carrying Lance must have aggravated the injury.

 

The Red paladin’s face softens as he looks around the inside of Blue. He wears a look of wonder and appreciation, as if seeing her for the first time. Lance is struck with the thought that he could never regret the decision he made back under the water. Even if his lion hadn’t come to the rescue, it would be worth it.

 

“...thank you,” Keith breathes.

 

Lance startles, confused by the quiet words until he realizes that Keith isn’t speaking to him. He’s talking to Blue. A rush of affection blooms in his chest, and he can feel a smile pulling gently at his lips. Lance carefully slides his palm over to wrap around Keith’s hand.

 

Not looking down, Keith tightens around Lance’s chilled fingers in a familiar grip. Lance doesn’t even realize he’s staring until the Red paladin rolls his head sideways and crinkles his brows in concern. “You okay there, Lance?”

 

“Yea, I’m good” Grin still in place, Lance is content to have his eyes slip closed and let sleep to overtake him. “All gooooood in the hood.”

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Keith POV! The team takes a closer look at Lance's gills and the boys have some time together. 
> 
> How in favor are we of the klance because it just keeps growing I can't help it I'm sorry, they love each other a lot okay??


	10. Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A small, soft update to hold you over until the next chapter ♥ Next chap is ~7 pages and should be posted in the next day or two!!

_Keith shoulders more than enough of Lance’s weight as the two make their way into Blue’s mouth. As they shuffle into the cockpit, the lion purrs beneath their feet. Lance wobbles toward the pilot seat, but Keith stumbles and they end up sliding to the ground, backs against the console._

 

The muscles around Keith’s wound are burning, but he doesn’t care. As long as he can be here next to Lance for a few minutes longer, it’s worth it.

 

As the other boy settles in beside him, clearly accepting that they’re not getting up again, Keith peers around the inside of the lion. Blue is cast in a new light now, her consciousness somehow more real with the reminder of how deeply she cares for her pilot. How she protects and supports him in every fight. As much as the lion needs her paladin, Lance relies on her in equal measure.

 

Keith feels a surge of gratefulness when he thinks of how far Blue is willing to push herself in order to keep her loved ones safe. It seems she’s like her paladin in that respect. The lion saved Lance, but in reality her actions protected the whole team. They would never recover if they had lost the Blue paladin today.

 

Keith can’t help the quiet “...thank you” that slips from his lips.

 

He hears Lance breath catch, and then there’s a cold hand poking at his own across the floor. Keith grabs on, desperate to chase the chill out of Lance’s skin. He’s still shivering slightly, and Keith looks over to check on him.

 

Bright blue eyes take him by surprise, already staring back at him with a dreamy smile. Lance’s gaze looks miles away, and Keith can’t help the feeling of concern that drifts over him.

 

“You okay there, Lance?”

 

The Blue paladin startles and blinks himself back to the present. “Yea, I’m good.”

 

Just reflecting, then. Keith rolls his head back, leaning it against the wall as he tries to tamp down on this new worrying streak. Lance is here, he’s okay, relax.

 

“All gooooood in the hood.” Lance croons, trailing off.

 

Keith huffs, laughing a little at the lame response. “Seriously, dude?”

 

Silence.

 

Keith looks over again. “Lance?”

 

In one heart-stopping moment, Keith sees that his eyes are closed and he’s not moving. “Shit, Lance??” his voice jumps.

 

Keith nearly falls over himself in his haste to check the other boy’s pulse. _No, no no no don’t do this. You were okay, you were talking and walking around. You said you were alright!_ Thoughts of brain damage, concussions, internal injury flash through Keith’s mind as he presses his fingers into Lance’s throat, searching desperately for a pulse point.

 

A steady beat. Weak, but it’s there.

 

Keith lets out a shaky sigh of relief and tries to catch up to his own thundering heart. Lance is asleep, passed out at worst. They’ll put him in a healing pod and he’ll be fine. Calm down.

 

Blue rattles with a gentle laugh, no doubt endeared to see Keith have a near heart attack over his concern for her paladin. Her jets flare and she takes off toward the castle after the Green lion, flying carefully but not wasting any time getting the two paladins back to the medbay.

 

Keith uses the time to examine the boy sleeping beside him. Lance is bruised, his lower lip split from Kretek’s backhand, and Keith runs the pad of his thumb over the injury. His hair is still wet and sticking to his forehead. Without thinking, he reaches up to run his fingers through Lance’s hair and push it out of his eyes. That’s better.

 

His hand drops to Lance’s chest, reassured to feel the steady heartbeat under his palm. He’s still cold and shivery, so Keith scoots a bit closer, ready to give any heat he can.  As he nudges them together, Lance’s head droops toward the Red paladin’s uninjured shoulder. He pauses, not wanting to wake him, but Lance doesn’t stir. Really it looks more comfortable that way, so Keith just rests his chin on the paladin’s wet hair.

 

Content with their position, Keith finds himself fighting to keep his own eyes open. He needs to stay awake, ready to chase off any danger that still hovers around Lance. But... his eyelids only get heavier with time, each blink slower than the last. It’s not long before he loses the battle and drifts off to sleep himself.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have fanart, please don't hesitate to tell me or tag me (tomminowrites.tumblr) so I can share it with everyone!! There's only one chapter left plus an epilogue aaaaaa
> 
> Angie-the-Hobbit continued the series, [drawing Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Keith!](https://angie-the-hobbit.tumblr.com/tagged/fan-art)


	11. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More art!! [Lexiimatsu drew Lance](https://locaexis.tumblr.com/post/162132119650/if-you-surface-they-die-that-one-langst) and it broke my heart so much I added it into chapter two.
> 
>  
> 
> Last chapter. It’s been a wild ride, thank you so much everyone ♥

Keith wakes to the sound of the pod hissing, and he stumbles out into Shiro's arms. “Easy there, I got you.”

 

Allura steps in to start checking him over as the chill of the healing pod dissipates. Keith finally gets his feet under him and looks over Shiro’s shoulder to the medical section across the room.

 

Lance is perched up on the side of the exam table, swinging his legs and munching on a homemade cookie while he sits patiently. The Blue paladin is also stripped down to his flight suit, clearly not long out of the healing pods himself, and Coran is scanning him with various handheld devices.

 

Pidge is underfoot looking at the scans and readings, while Hunk is still asking Lance if he’s okay, if he’s sure he doesn’t want a little more time in the pod?

 

“Right on time, Keith!” Coran announces. “As far as physical damage goes, you beat Lance’s podtime by just a few dobashes!”

 

Lance looks up and their eyes meet across the room. A huge look of relief crosses the Blue paladin’s face, and he breaks into a smile. Keith is happy, floating for a moment… and then, he remembers.

 

“LANCE.” Confusion flashes across the Blue paladin’s face as Keith gets angry, striding toward the boy on the table. Heedless of Shiro’s attempts to slow him down, he points accusingly as he approaches.

 

“YOU SAID YOU WERE FINE AND THEN YOU PASSED OUT AFTER YOU SAID THAT _STUPID_ LINE AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD AGAIN AND THAT WAS IT AND I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO TELL EVERYONE THOSE WERE YOUR LAST WORDS.”

 

Lance scrambles behind Hunk with an “eep” and Shiro eases back when he realizes there isn’t actually any danger of a fight. Before Keith can outline exactly why Lance is _never_ allowed to do that to him again, something behind Coran dings like a microwave and starts buzzing.

 

Pidge jumps away from whatever she was poking and throws up her hands. “Wasn’t me!”

 

Coran lets out a good-natured chuckle. “No, by the sound of it that should be the results of my scans.”

 

Keith backs down, anger immediately buried under the need to know more about what happened to Lance. Everyone gathers around the table to hear what Coran has to say. Lance looks uncomfortable being the subject of such focused attention, but he’s clearly interested in the results as well.

 

“Soooo, what’s up doc?” he jokes nervously.

 

“Well to be blunt, you certainly have gills now, which is a real first for your species!” Coran starts. “It appears Blue morphed your cells in much the same way that Altean transformation works. This is obviously not a natural process for humans so it must have been extremely painful.”

 

“You can say that again,” Lance mutters. A few paladins turn to him with looks of pity, and he rebounds. “Hey, much less painful than the alternative, no?” Instead of being reassured, they look even more upset. Hunk wraps an arm around Lance’s shoulders.

 

Pidge leans in to examine the lines on Lance’s neck. Clearly the more information she has, the better the Green paladin will feel about the situation.

 

“All I see are three angular ridges on each side, and they look more like scars than anything. Are these different than the gill structures we have on Earth?” she asks.

 

Lance has the answer to that one. “No, they were definitely recognizable gills when I got them. When I was underwater they loosened up to flare out and filter the water I was inhaling.”

 

Shiro tenses up at the reminder of how close Lance came to drowning. He probably inhaled water even before he got the gills, fluid burning into his lungs. Keith swallows uncomfortably.

 

Coran gestures and the holo displays bring up x-rays of Lance’s throat. Strange patterns of paneling are clearly visible under the skin. “The reason they’ve sealed up is that you’re no longer submerged and need air to reach your lungs directly. Having holes in your neck would make it awfully hard to pump oxygen into your chest, so it’s very important that the gills seal up properly.”

 

“You’re breathing air now no problem?” Shiro checks.

 

Lance takes a deep breath to confirm. “Yeah. It doesn’t feel any different really, just a bit tender like I slept on my neck wrong or something.”

 

Curious, Keith reaches up to brush a knuckle across the lines on his throat. With a gentle touch, he can just barely feel the bumps of the gills underneath. Lance jolts and a fierce blush slams across his face.

 

“Okay okay they’re _definitely_ more sensitive now, even if they don’t look it. N-no more of that.” At the flustered sound of Lance’s voice, Keith pulls his hand back in alarm. Did he hurt him?

 

The bright flush fades away when Hunk asks if the transformation can shift back. Lance winces at the idea of feeling that pain again, but shrugs. “I can give it a try?”

 

“Try concentrating on your original form,” Allura advises. “Visualize your anatomy shifting back, all the pieces flowing and smoothing back to where they came. Altean children were taught to lean into the changes, like stretching a muscle.”

 

Lance closes his eyes and crinkles his brow in concentration. Pidge is staring at his neck so hard that Keith considers she might transform him back herself.

 

The Blue paladin releases the breath he was holding. “I… don’t think it’s working. I think Blue is the only one with the mojo to start it.” He opens his eyes and looks guilty for not asking sooner. “How is she? Will she be alright?”

 

Allura reassures him with a hand on his shoulder. “She’s recovering in her hanger with the other lions, she should be fine. It’s a good thing Blue was able to get to you in time. We were incredibly lucky that your mental bond was strong enough to reach her from so far away, and that your lion was able to provide a solution based on her elemental abilities.”

 

“Yeah, thank god it was me in the water, right?” Lance says.

 

There’s a beat of silence. Keith can feel his expression darken, but before he puts his outrage into words Shiro jumps in.

 

“NO. Not ‘thank god it was you.’ It should NEVER have been you, and dammit you need to be more careful Lance! Your life is not worth this kind of risk, ever again.”

 

Hunk nods in agreement, looking solemn. Lance looks… a little shocked, to be honest.

 

Pidge pipes up in a small voice. “We thought you were dead. Nothing will ever make that okay.” Lance pulls her into a hug, mumbling _c’mere kiddo_ \- a nickname the Green paladin always pretends to hate.

 

“I must say I am curious as to why you were unconscious when they found you, Lance,” Coran ventures. “After the gills grew in you should have been breathing normally, what happened?”

 

Lance’s gaze drifts as he tries to remember. “After I, uh, got the Galra to stop watching me” - Keith shudders - “I managed to get the restraints off my arms. When I heard the rumble I swam right back up, thought the extraction team was here. Although,” he smirks, “it would appear that was my beautiful Blue coming to save the day again.”

 

He drops into seriousness as he remembers what came next. “When I surfaced I saw Kretek at the edge. He was yelling, aiming at someone and I just… reacted.”

 

Keith’s eyes go wide. “When he stumbled. That was you??” Keith’s heart squeezes when he realizes that Lance has saved him twice over, now.

 

“Yeah I grabbed at his legs but I couldn’t get him to go down,” Lance continues. “He kicked at me a few times but really I just hung on until one of you shot him.” Keith flicks his eyes over to Shiro, who looks like he’s reliving the feeling of ending the Galran commander - there’s no regret in his eyes. Lance notices.

 

“Sharpshooter Shiro, huh? Thanks for filling in for me, boss.” He smiles reassuringly at their leader. “All I could think about was getting Kretek away from you, stop him from hurting anyone else. I couldn’t even get out of the water, I just kept pulling at him, and when he fell he landed right on top of me. I couldn’t have been out for a more than a few minutes though, right?”

 

An awkward pause follows the question. “You were unconscious for a while, Lance.” Hunk explains carefully. “I know for sure that you weren’t breathing after we first pulled you out, although I didn’t know you had gills at the time.”

 

Pidge sniffles at the memory. “I couldn’t find a pulse in your wrist, and I know I should have looked harder but I was just so scared and you were so cold I…” Shiro places a hand on the top of her head, and she calms herself down to think it through. “That does explain why the chest compressions didn’t change anything. Your heart was still beating so there was no point trying to restart it, your lungs just weren’t working.”

 

Coran speaks up again. “I imagine it was an effect of the transition from gills to lungs. You were unconscious when you were pulled out of the ravine, so your body was still expecting water as its main source of oxygen.”

 

“Like… a fish on a hook.” Lance is amused but unsettled by his own comparison.

 

“Your body was trying to inhale, diaphragm moving, but there was no chest expansion because the air was leaking right out of the gills,” Coran explains.

 

“So there’s no exhale because the air never even got there,” Keith surmises.

 

Allura takes up the explanation. “Once your body realized no water was coming, it would began the process of drying out the gills and sealing up, which takes some time - longer since this is the first time you’ve ever transformed in such a way.”

 

“The scans showed no sign of brain damage?” Shiro asks, still concerned. “The gills must have oxygenated the hell out of your blood if you were able to go without air for that long.”

 

“I did feel… pretty darn good under the water.” Lance admits. “Powerful. Strong, like I always pictured the Blue paladin should be.”

 

Hunk pulls him close. “You are strong Lance.” Keith nods sharply in agreement. Lance keeps proving himself stronger than the Red paladin ever expected.

 

“Well as strong as you are, it’s better if you take it easy over the next few cycles,” Coran requests. “No more heroics for a while, alright m’boy?”

 

“I think I’ve had my fill of daring rescues for now,” Lance says. “I really do feel okay though.”

 

Keith gives him a dubious look and the Blue paladin bristles. “Really! There’s no need to keep looking so sad, I’m right here guys.”

 

He winks at Pidge. “Plus I’m pretty much a merman now,” Lance says with a mischievous smile. She lets out a teary little chuckle.

 

“Hardly. You can breathe underwater but you don’t have any fins or other aquatic structures.” Her voice takes on a scientific tilt, almost teasing now. “Not to mention your lack of temperature regulation or a method of dealing with increased water pressure at greater depths. I’d say you’re about 23% mermaid.”

 

Hunk chimes in, “Even Keith has you beat as far as alien genetics go.”

 

Lance pouts goodnaturedly as Pidge and Hunk laugh. Keith can’t help but smile at the comparison. It’s a nice thought, that he’s no longer a special case onboard the ship. Allura and Shiro share a relieved glance as the team enjoys the simple pleasure of being safe and together again.

 

Hunk’s eyes fill up again as he exchanges a smile with Lance, and the Yellow paladin goes back in for a hug. He squeezes just a bit too tight and Lance lets out a comical groan.

 

“Easy bud, gotta let me breathe. I’ve had enough trouble with that already,” Lance laughs out. “After surviving that whole ordeal planetside it would be a real shame to suffocate in the medbay.”

 

Hunk’s face falls and Shiro freezes. The tension in the room spikes, and Lance backpedals. “Too soon, sorry sorry.” At least he has the good graces to look guilty about it.

 

Pidge hugs him around the middle again and Coran ruffles his hair. “I think it’ll take some healing before the team is ready to joke about this, boy-o. You gave us all a good scare.”

 

“I really am sorry, guys.” Lance sounds truly sentimental, dropping his usual playful tone. “I’m so glad everyone’s okay, glad you’re all here with me. My Voltron family.”

 

Hunk scoops him up for another hug, Pidge getting swept along into it. Keith hangs back, not wanting to interfere. Regardless of Keith’s feelings, Lance deserves time with his closest friends. He doesn’t want to… overstep.

 

One of Lance’s arms sneaks out to grab Keith’s wrist, tugging him unceremoniously into the dogpile. Shiro laughs behind him, and Allura wipes at her eyes a little.

 

The princess says something about adjusting the castle’s flight path, and Shiro offers to join her. She’s clearly rattled at having come so close to losing one of her paladins, and it seems like Shiro can always tell when the princess needs a companion.

 

He’s still throwing glances at the Lance, but their leader is able to put the needs of the team above his own desire to tend to the Blue paladin. Just one more quality that Keith admires about him.

 

Before the two move to leave, a small beeping starts up from among Coran’s instruments. The Altean strokes his mustache as he considers the mess, looking confused. “That’s not one of mine, unless the darn catalyzer coil is acting up again...”

 

“Cookies!” Hunk exclaims, snatching up a little timer from between the wires and devices. “My next batch is ready to come out, Lance will you be okay if I leave for just a moment? I’ll be right back, just gone for a minute.” He looks over to his friend anxiously.

 

“Hey no worries big guy, I’m not going anywhere,” Lance reassures him. “Well, really I just want to change out of this flight suit.” He stretches uncomfortably. “I’ll head to my room quick and-”

 

“I’ll go with you.” Keith interjects.

 

Some instinct has him reluctant to let the Blue paladin out of his sight so soon, plus Hunk and Shiro look like they appreciate having someone keep an eye on Lance. Pidge raises an eyebrow at him with a smirk. Keith realizes what he just said and jumps to clarify.

 

“Not- not to change! Just... toward our rooms. To make sure you get there okay.” Keith stumbles some more. “I’m headed that direction anyway,” he throws in. Yeah, casual. Good.

 

Lance looks like he’s going to say something, but at the determined look on Keith’s face he nods and mumbles a thanks. Lance hops down from the table and shoos Shiro away from helping him.

 

They walk down the hallway side by side, quiet but for the tapping of their steps. The silence swells to an awkward weight, and Keith fidgets. There’s so much to say that he doesn’t even know where to start. He’s barely had a chance to think it through himself. What Lance did, his decision to stay under...

 

Keith glances sideways at Lance, checking for any lingering vulnerability. Is he walking okay? His knees gave out earlier, maybe... no, he’s fine, sauntering along as usual.

 

The scans didn’t pick up anything strange. Keith checks on Lance’s breathing, chest rising gently as they walk. Full recovery, they said, no problem. His genes are a little different but he’s still human, their tests showed his vitals were fine.

 

Keith looks over again. He’s never experienced a quiet Lance for this long, maybe he’s zoning out like before. What if he needs more time in the healing p-

 

“Dude. You’re starting to freak me out here.”

 

Busted. Keith tries to play it cool, scanning the hallway casually. His gaze inevitably drifts back to the Blue paladin, who’s ready for him now.

 

“Alright, time out. What’s with the eagle eyes?” Lance asks. “I know everyone is worried, but I’m totally healed up now. We’ve all been injured in battles before and you’ve never reacted like this. You keep looking at me with these, like... sad, longing puppy dog eyes and it’s weird.”

 

Keith narrows his eyes in suspicion. Lance is deflecting. He doesn’t trust a deflecting Lance. Last time Lance promised he was okay, the Blue paladin had passed out next to him with zero warning.

 

“Aaaaand now they’re angry protective puppy dog eyes,” Lance laughs. He drops the teasing and slows to a stop. “I’m okay, samurai. I’m right here. What gives?”

 

Keith can tell he’s not going to let it go. It’s a good opening really, for Keith to thank him and… convince him never to do this again.

 

“Don’t do that again,” he says.

 

Lance looks offended, wait that’s a bad start. “I mean, don’t save me again!”

 

The Blue paladin huffs and turns to keep walking, staring down at his feet. “Sorry?”

 

This is not going how he wanted. Keith reaches out to grab hold of Lance’s arm. “Wait! I…” Blue eyes meet his expectantly. “I was scared, Lance. I was so, incredibly scared.”

 

Keith takes a deep breath. “I thought I had lost you and I... never really considered what that might be like.” Lance turns back, looking concerned, so he keeps going. “We risk our lives every time we put on that paladin armor and I just now realized that… one of these times we might not get so lucky. That you might n-not come back.”

 

Lance’s face folds in pity and understanding, and he moves back toward the Red paladin. “But I did come back,” he says gently.

 

“Yeah, you did. I’m so glad you did, Lance.” Keith can feel his eyes welling up and hates it, but he can’t seem to make it stop.

 

Lance steps closer and brushes a stray tear off Keith’s face, voice low. “When I was under the water, all I could think of was how scared I was of them hurting you and Shiro. How I would rather stay down there than face the idea of losing you,” Lance looks close to tears at the memory. “If I could keep you safe, then it’s worth it, every time.”

 

“No,” Keith protests fiercely, tugging Lance forward into a hug. “Don’t you _ever_ do that for me,” he rumbles into the other boy’s shoulder.

 

“I’m beginning to suspect you wouldn’t keep that promise yourself,” comes the quiet reply.

 

Keith relaxes into the hug and tries to sort his tangled emotions into words. How does he explain how he felt during the mission, watching Lance slip away? Keith tries slowly, carefully.

 

“There, uh, haven’t exactly been a lot of people close to me in my life. I thought... I thought the universe was going to take one of the few good things I do have.” He leans back to look Lance in the eye, gaze dipping away uncertainly. “That it wouldn’t just let me have this. Have... you.”

 

That was a lot. Maybe he’s pushing this too hard, taking it too far. “Lance, I…”

 

They’re both surprised by the kiss, even though Lance is the one pushing forward to initiate it. It’s chaste, barely a brush against his lips, but Keith’s heart soars and he’s smiling as he pulls Lance in for another.

 

The Blue paladin lets out a relieved little giggle, and then they’re both laughing quietly, foreheads pressed together as they blink tears from their eyes. Wrapped up in each other, standing in the hallway of a castleship hidden somewhere among the stars.

 

Each boy considers, just for a moment, that they will be able to heal like this.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t cry just yet! I’ll be adding an EPILOGUE to this in a few days, and a number of people have convinced me to write more in this universe. A fluff-turned-angst story about the whole team getting powers is in the works already.
> 
> If you’d like to join me on another adventure, **the first chapter of my next Lance fic is up:[Lockdown ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11278587/chapters/25226052)**
> 
> Your ideas are what made Fighting the Surface great, so I would love to have your input in the future!! A thousand thank yous.


End file.
